A Zenith Outside the Heavens
by Arrixam
Summary: They say he has three faces. Bears one thousand wings. His body is made of eyes and tongues- one to see every living being and for each language spoken. He judges all, decides who is guilty and who is innocent. None may oppose him. He is the Night Angel, the champion who protects from within the darkness. (A trilogy)
1. Chapter 1

"For the last time I am _not _a part of your stupid club!"

Hyoudou Issei slammed his fists on his desk, nearly knocking over his canned beverage before it wobbled enough for him to steady. He knew Motohama and Matsuda would trouble him as soon as he came back from the student store. They always did this. They would approach him with some _horrendous _idea of debauchery that would bite all of them in the ass in the end.

"Hey now, don't be like that Ise," Motomaha adjusted his glasses as he smiled passively. "We've been through so much together these past few years."

"Yeah, you're like our best bud!" reaffirmed the bald Matsuda. "You've been hanging with us as far back as middle school. Why are you always like this? We just want to show you the new peeping spot we've just found."

Issei's brow twitched as soon as the class started to whisper to themselves. New rumors about him were bound to spread by the end of the day. He had to deal with this bullshit for years. Years! He thought that it would all stop as soon as he graduated and got into a decent high school. He even chose one where Motohama and Matsuda couldn't follow due to their lack of intelligence. You had to be something of a genius to score high enough marks in Kuoh Academy's entrance exam.

Unfortunately… he underestimated the tenacity of perverts. The two had no problem getting in to the former all-girl's school. They were more than motivated to join since the ratio of genders was 3:1.

"No, _you _guys end up doing something and somehow I get dragged into it," Issei retorted as he bit into his sandwich. "Which is why I'm staying here and not moving from my spot. The last time I went to the bathroom while you guys were doing your thing— on the other side of the campus no less!— I got caught up in the mix. I've never been your friend; I don't even like you guys. So scram!"

"Now, now, Ise," Motohama waved a hand in dismissal, _ignoring _the death glare that had sent many running. "You can't deny you've had fun with us. Sure, we've gotten into a fair bit of trouble. But the bounty was always worth it in the end."

"Besides, we've leant you many of our special treasures," Matsuda added with a creepy as hell smile. "You've must have loved them with how long you've been holding on to them."

More whispering among the students…

Issei growled, "No, I burned it all."

The two perverts blinked in surprise.

"Ah, to think Ise would be so shy to admit his tastes and think of an excuse to keep the magazines," Matsuda said with a nod to the fabricated story he made himself.

"No, I, _literally _burned them to ash," Issei nearly snarled.

"It's okay, Ise," Motohama fixed his glasses as he gave his own smile. "If you liked them so much I'll lend you some from my private stash."

More whispering…

"That stuff was _garbage _and needed to be destroyed!" Issei was losing his patience by the sheer idiocy the two kept up. You had to _try _to be this stupid.

"…Oh," realization donned on them as Motohama was the one to speak up. However, Issei already knew where this was going and didn't know why he kept trying every other day. "Then… I guess we can find you something a bit more fitting of your tastes. As expected of the living embodiment of sexual desires!"

"That's our Ise!" cheered Matsuda with a pumped fist.

The students weren't trying to be discreet by this point. They were openly discussing what sort of character they believed he was.

"Listen to what I am saying!" Issei slammed his fists on the desk once more. "You know what? Fuck it. Go on and get started without me. Let me finish my lunch and I'll go join you."

Naturally he wasn't going to do such a thing. And his words would only reinforce his reputation as the most vulgar, disgusting, stain on society. He couldn't even say they would ruin his reputation; no he had long hit the bottom and continued to go deeper into the negatives.

The amount of fist fights he's gotten into were almost daily. Mostly boyfriends who thought had their girls peeked on by the Perverted Trio. Students from other schools in the city went out of their way to hunt him down if the _wind _so much as blew a girl's skirt. There was so much hate directed towards him wherever he went to the point where he was completely isolated.

It was all because of _these _two.

"YES! That's our Ise!" roared Matsuda in triumph.

"Good to see you join us, comrade!" Motohama nodded with a victorious grin. "Meet us by the old school building. And be quick."

Issei didn't say anything further. He waved them off as he went back to enjoying his lunch in peace. Or at least as peaceful as he could. The students sharing the room were giving him hateful glares of disgust. Some of them moved seats to be as far away from him as possible. Others outright left the room. But every single one of them were muttering insults, sharing fabricated stories that will soon become rumors— correction, _tragedies _that was making up the legend that is Hyoudou Issei.

He paid them no mind. He always figured having no reputation was a good thing in his line of work. But having such a repulsively negative one worked just as good; sometimes even better than what a positive one could grant him. No one took him seriously and no one would look his way when something serious happened… unless it involved things like sexual harassment and rape.

…To which he has been a suspect of numerous times.

There were days when he thought it would be best to fake his death and start over from scratch. It wouldn't be too hard. He had already done it before countless times.

Life number 35,925 wasn't far too different from all the others he had before it.

*Scene*

"U-Um!" she tried to cry out to get his attention.

Issei slung his bag over his shoulder, turned, and looked at the girl who called for him on the other side of the bridge. The sun was setting by the time he finished his turn of cleaning the classroom. He would have finished sooner hadn't his partner bailed simply because Issei was assigned today as well. Nevertheless, he simply couldn't care at this point.

It did get his attention to find the young girl at the other end didn't look at him with a condescending expression. Like he was some cockroach. It was a look he hadn't seen in a number of years as his reputation reached to all corners of the city… and probably spreading elsewhere like the plague.

She was pretty, more than most of the girls he had seen before. She had long black hair, violet eyes, fair skin, and a mature figure for her age. The uniform she wore suggested she went to a rivaling school, one located near the city. So she _should _know who he was and shouldn't be looking at him with such a nervous expression.

It wasn't fear. She was timid, almost anxious to speak with him. He had a _long _time to know what the difference was.

He approached her but did so slowly to not startle her. He made sure to pay attention to her expressions as he came closer. He didn't want to scare her off in fear of being some victim of a potential rape if she _did _know about him. When he felt he was at the right distance— not too far to seem distant yet not too close to be intimidating— he answered her.

"Hi there," he began with a blank face. The years had made him stop smiling. Partially because the people of the city would make some news article about him with a photo of him and his 'lecherous' smile. The other reason was simply because of his age. "Is there something you need of me?"

The girl lowered her head but kept her eyes upon his through her bangs. Her lips quivered as she began to fiddle with the grip of her handbag. "M-My name is Yuuma. A-Amano Yuuma. I was wondering… if you would… please go out with me!"

She shouted the last part through a forced gasp as she bowed.

"…Sorry," Issei responded with a small sigh. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go out with me. You should probably go before someone sees you."

He turned to leave. It would be best he left quickly before _another _story about him wound up in the morning paper or in the rumor mill. He could already see the titles now. Something having to do with him harassing a defenseless girl. The longer he stayed near her the worse the stories would become. Someone would be bound to run into him sometime tomorrow and demand an explanation from him. Most of the time those people wouldn't bother listening to his response and a fight would ensure.

"Wait!" she called out to him but he didn't stop. "I know who you are, Hyoudou Issei! And I don't care!"

He sighed again as he turned his neck around just enough for him to see her over his shoulder. "That's nice of you, but people are vicious creatures. They won't care either and will come to their own speculation. In this day and age they usually come to the worst possible conclusion and refuse to change it even if evidence shows up to argue. If you know who I am then you already know this won't end well for either of us."

"One chance," she stepped forward with determination. "At least give me that. I don't care what others think. I don't think you're a terrible person. I… I-I've been watching you for some time. You've never done those things they accuse you of. I… I think you're a nice person, Hyoudou-san."

He didn't say anything nor did he move any further. His eyes turned towards the sunset as her words mulled over in his head.

With a final sigh, he gave a response. "…If you're fine with being with me. Alright. When do you want to go on a date?"

*Scene*

"Yeah… I can't go in there either."

This was beginning to become annoying, Yuuma thought. On a Saturday afternoon the two of them had met up by the shopping plaza to spend their date together as promised. Unfortunately, their options were severely limited. Issei's reputation was so renowned throughout the city to the point where he was forbidden from stepping foot in certain facilities. He was banned from the karaoke bar because some girl claimed to have been violated by him with her screams being silenced by the private room's walls. The movie theatres because another girl claimed he had his way with her under the cover of darkness. _Every _clothing store that had female attire within their inventory because of various stories of him stealing clothes for fantasizing purposes.

"Do I want to know why you can't go into an _aquarium_?" she asked rhetorically.

"…I'd rather you didn't," he said in his normal blank face. "It involves three girls and an octopus."

Throughout the short day Issei was nothing but a gentleman towards her. He gave her plenty of space, kept his hands to himself, _listened _when she talked with eyes that never strayed away from hers, and did his best to make this an enjoyable day despite the limited options to entertain them with. When they walked down the boulevard she slipped her hand into his; he, in turn, held hers in a firm yet gentle grip. The tenderness of it spoke of how much he considered her feelings and would never dare to betray her trust.

However, alarms went off in her head. He had a swordsman's calluses. As far as she knew Issei wasn't in any dueling clubs in school. Come to think about it, she knew next to nothing about Hyoudou Issei. He woke up, ran some exercises around the block and park near his home, went to school, and then came straight home to repeat the cycle. At least, that's what her peers had reported.

She was here to further the investigation to see if he would pose a threat in the future. Azazel had warned her someone with a Longinus-class Sacred Gear was within the city. Now, there were a few Sacred Gear users here and there, but none of them was the one Azazel had spoken about.

The investigation eventually narrowed it down to Hyoudou Issei. Why? Because when the system scanning the city produced a visual reading of energy signatures, there was this one black spot that shouldn't have been there. After several repeat scans and coordinating patrols to narrow the search, they had found that black spot to be Issei.

Standing beside him, Raynare couldn't deny he was an anomaly. He simply didn't have a presence. True, humans were such lowly creatures but when it came to Issei she _couldn't _say he was lowly. He simply wasn't _anything. _He hadn't a scent, didn't have an aura, and didn't have a sign of life as far as she could tell. He was simply just a walking void.

She needed to find out what this meant. She needed to find out if he would be too dangerous to be left alive.

"Is there anywhere we can go to sit down and talk?" she asked. "I want to get to know you a bit more, Ise-kun. The _real _you, not the one everyone thinks you are."

He scratched his cheek in thought. "Well… there aren't very many restaurants I'm allowed to visit either. Other than a few fast food joints there's… one place I'm welcomed at. But… I don't think you'll like it."

She pulled on his hand, "Well come on then! Show me! Any place will be fine at this point. If it means we can be together quietly… I don't mind wherever you take me."

In a matter of minutes she argued with herself whether it was a good idea or not. Of all the places he was _permitted _to dwell at… Issei had taken her to a maid café.

"Welcome back, Issei-sama~" chimed all the girls either standing to greet or waiting tables as soon as he walked in. Normally there would be a few greeters who would call the incoming customer some silly nickname. Instead _all _of the girls had turned, smiled beautifully at his appearance, and addressed Issei by his name and a heightened honorific.

"…I don't understand," Raynare said after the two of them had been escorted to a small table by the window— a table marked with a Reserved plaque permanently bolted onto the sill. Apparently this was _his _table.

Issei looked over the menu while he answered, "I have a long history with this establishment. Thanks to my reputation there weren't very many places willing to hire me for help. At first they were very much the same. Now that's not much of a problem. I come in every so often to cook, clean, and get rid of… trash."

"Ise-sama was once a loyal customer!" a maid began to tell her story as she suddenly popped at their side. She pressed her (fake) glasses up, took a seat, and dove into her story with a heavy romantic sigh. "He would at least come in once a week to order meals from us but he never paid for any of the entertainment services we provide. Well, the girls at the time wouldn't want to do anything with him and never gave him the chance anyways. You must understand if you're dating Ise-sama what his reputation brings to the table, no?"

Raynare nodded. She had done her homework on Issei. However, she never got the chance to finish reading the stories about him as there were simply far too many of them with new ones popping up daily. Some were childish, others were bizarre, and certain made Azazel throw his head back in laughter.

"Mizuki-chan," Issei lowered his menu to look at the maid. "I don't think Yuuma-chan wants to hear something so… embarrassing."

"No, I'm quite interested," Raynare countered. Honestly, she couldn't care less but she needed to gain as much information about Issei as possible. Even if it meant she had to listen to this drivel. "Please, Mizuki-san, continue."

"Of course!" the maid gave a devilish smile as she adjusted her glasses once again. A dark glint reflected off the lenses. "Some girls quit after Ise-sama kept coming back even when he never did anything. But Yukari-sama always hired new help and let him continue with his patronage as he was one of our best costumers. Things began to change when a group of foreigners were being a little… rough with some of the other girls."

"Can I have some coffee?" Issei interjected. He had wanted to get the girl away but a second maid came by and placed a cup of freshly brewed coffee in front of him. He looked at the cup and then at the girl with betrayed eyes. The girl only offered a heartfelt smile and walked away, leaving Mizuki to finish her story.

Mizuki gave another romantic sigh, "Ise-sama got up and showed those Americans who was boss. He did it without breaking a thing, no less! He asked if Sakura-chan and Maylith-chan were all right before going back to his table as if nothing had happened. After that, Yukari-sama had a long talk with him and now Ise-sama comes in as help during some of our special events~"

"So, Hyoudou-kun," Raynare feigned jealously as she diverted her attention back towards him. "What made you come back in the first place? I… I thought those rumors were false but don't tell me the maids—"

"Other than a few fast-food joints," he repeated the same words he used before bringing her here, "there is one place I'm welcomed at. That would be here. While I enjoy a home-cooked meal as much as the next, I also enjoy being outside in the environment of society. The food is good and the company is nice. That's all I need."

What a boring answer. And here she thought he was going to blurt out denials like a startled school boy. Instead his response had been mature, if not a little stiff.

"Fufufufu~" cackled the maid as she had yet to leave them alone. "That, and Ise-sama eats here for free. He _is _the owner of the café after all. As well as five others within the chain."

Issei put his coffee down before he could take a sip and stared accusingly at Mizuki. Raynare cocked a brow at this. A teenage boy still in high school being the owner of not just one business but five others within its conglomerate? One would need some serious finances in order to purchase such an establishment or would need some backing or inheritance. From her reports she found Issei had none of these things as he was from an average family.

"R-Really?" Raynare looked at him incredulously; she didn't need to fake her emotions this time. "So wait… That part about you being _hired…_?"

Issei sighed as he answered her, "I _was _hired at first to do those things. I still do it anyways. But I've seen this place grow from a small family-owned business and thought I would like to support it. Eventually I just bought them out. But Suzuki Yukari is still the manager.

"Thank you, Mizuki," he then turned his attention back to the intruding maid before she could blab out anything else. "I know you're trying to help and I do appreciate it, but I would like to resume my date in peace."

"Yes, yes, Ise-sama," the maid got up and waved goodbye at the both of them, but not before turning back to Raynare. "He's a great guy. Everything people say about him is a lie. Please give him a chance."

Raynare offered a giggle and a wink before waving goodbye at the informative maid. "So you're really a gentleman, a handyman, and apparently a philanthropist. Is there anything else you're hiding from me, Hyoudou-kun?"

He returned to his menu as he replied with some mild sarcasm, "I'm also an immortal older than God Himself who stalks the night hunting evildoers and saving the innocent. They call me the Night Angel."

The blood in her veins froze. The Night Angel was a legend only found in the supernatural community. It was a being said to possess three faces and _ten-thousand _wings, who could raze whole armies with his twin blades, and could not be touched by any force known in this plane of existence. The Night Angel appeared without warning and could vanish without a trace. Countless centuries had gone by with sightings of this creature popping up and powerful figures being eradicated with minimal effort. Even that madman Azazel had a solemn look whenever the Night Angel was brought up in a conversation; he would then ramble on in the story of how he ordered his troops to retreat when word had gotten around the unstoppable monster was approaching.

There was a rumor the Great War was stopped because all three Factions feared the wrath of the Night Angel.

And the last sighting of the Night Angel had been at the end of the Great War. Nearly five centuries ago. There were rumors and whispers about him appearing here and there across the planet such as unexplained murders on powerful figures, but nothing had been confirmed. The newest generation of supernatural creatures took his legend as a myth while the old never forgot and feared his return. But as for the mundane populace… such a legend would never cross their paths.

So why did Issei, a _seemingly _normal human being, know of the Night Angel?

"Something wrong?" he asked as his eyes looked up from the menu.

She found she had her mouth hanging open. She needed to find a way to recover and to do so quickly. "I… uh… I've heard that term before. I didn't want you to find out and think less of me… but I'm secretly a blogger. I've heard of the Night Angel before on the net but only from a secretive and exclusive website. Are you by chance a member of the site?"

There. Something discreet and reasonable. Anything can be found on the internet these days. _Anything. _There were even some ludicrous stories in regards to Sacred Gear users. Like one certain story where the wielder of the Boosted Gear was some extreme pervert who grew more powerful the more breasts he fondled. Surely if something as ridiculous as that could be on the internet then _something _in relations to the Night Angel could be there. Or the name Night Angel at least; it needn't be the same topic.

He blinked, "Oh, uh, no. The name just popped inside my head and I thought it sounded cool. Think about it; a _Night _Angel. Sounds like a sentai name, don't you think? But if there's an internet series about a guy with the same name then oh well. It's not very original to begin with."

She studied him for a moment, using her menu as a shield to make it look like it had her interest. While his explanation made sense and his emotions played along well to convince her, she could not shake off the feeling of danger raising up from her. It would make sense.

Issei had no presence. None. The Night Angel was said to be able to appear and vanish without warning. It was said not even God could track him. Maybe if Issei had said he read an article about him, or went along with her story, she would have tracked it off as someone else introducing the story of the Night Angel to him. Instead, Issei had given a firm description of the creature and claimed he had done so on the spot.

Further analysis was needed in order to confirm her hypothesis.

*Scene*

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait," Raynare ran up to the street corner after she had excused herself for the washroom. Not that she really had to go or anything, but she did need to splash some water on her face. The more she spent with Issei, the more he was grating on her nerves.

Issei was the perfect gentleman. He was always courteous to her and actually dove into conversations about her as if he genuinely cared. His eyes never diverted away from hers and he never undressed her like all the other mortal boys had. He was seeing her as a person first and a woman second.

He also, masterfully in a way that made her feel like she was running in circles, avoided most topics relating to his self. His hobbies included watching hero-themed anime, reading fantasy novels and _some _light novels, and, of all things, gardening. He was highly intelligent for someone his age, always strove to be one of the best in academics, and had a decent moral sense of justice but never imposed those values on her. He lived alone while his parents were oversees on business, leaving him to tend to the house and to continue his education with his so-called friends.

That was all she could get out of him. But it wasn't like he was going to elaborate to her, an almost complete stranger despite them dating, regarding all manner of the supernatural. He played ignorance well, a little _too _well for her taste. She almost believed he was just some tool if her instincts weren't telling her something different.

She had yet to figure out if this young man was really the Night Angel or had some sort of affiliation to the real one.

"Hmm?" Issei looked up from the small piece of paper in his hands. "Oh, don't worry about it. Are you ready to head home?"

"…What's that?" her eyes immediately traced the details of the pamphlet. It was a Devil's summoning sigil. Strange; she hadn't sensed any Devils within the area. They must have one of their familiars around distributing them to the general populace.

"Some girl was handing them out and put it in my hand even when I didn't want it," he said as he flipped over both sides. "The person who drew this put a lot of effort in the details though. Here, do you want to take a look?"

"Um… no thank you," she said a bit more bitterly than she was supposed to. 'Yuuma' was supposed to be a peppy girl. Remembering the persona she was to play as, she coughed into her hand and put a little more oomph in her playfulness. "Why not just throw it away if you don't want it? Come on, Hyoudou-kun. There's one more place I want to go before we head home."

"Yeah, I suppose I should," he shrugged and then tore the tag into several pieces. They walked together to the nearest trashcan, he dumped the pieces into the bin, and they walked away.

*Scene*

They ended up in the local park by the end of the day. The sun was setting and there was no one around to bother them. Throughout their date Issei had received the piercing glares of the populace, some insults, a group of people had asked Raynare if she had been blackmailed to accompany him, and even an officer came to ask them both a series of questions. To find themselves alone at last was a boon.

Raynare sat down by the edge of the fountain to take a breather. The day was eventful. She could suppose she had fun at certain points, but most of it was just so damn boring. There was no thrill. No excitement. Issei was nothing but a kind soul and that in itself bothered her. She might have respected him further if he tried to take her by force. But then again, if he had, she would have killed him. Still, she would have respected him.

However, she didn't know if she could kill him. She never learned anything further since the little information dump he gave at the maid café. _Why _had he given it to begin with? Was he just some foolish mortal who had stumbled upon this information somehow and used it because he thought it sounded cool? Or was he really in affiliation to the Night Angel?

Or was he the Night Angel itself?

Issei placed the bags of things he had bought her during the date down by her feet and chose to sit beside her, yet still a good armful away to mind her space. "I had a lot of fun today. It was nice, thank you Yuuma-chan."

"Hey, Ise-kun," she began, this time using his nickname instead of his surname. It was to make her sound innocent as she was trying to ask an innocent question. Or at least that was what she was trying to illustrate. "I meant to ask you earlier. If you were that Night Angel person you spoke about in the café, what would you do?"

He looked at her and tilted his head slightly. His large brown eyes blinked in mild confusion and innocence. "Ah. You know I said that as a joke, right? Besides, I'm sure the Night Angel I made up in my head is completely different from the one you blog about."

"Well, I still want to know more about Ise-kun," she returned in a playful tone. "Won't you at least tell me a little something? I promise to not laugh!"

He gave a weary sigh as he rubbed the back of his head. He stood and took a few paces away from her. "Yeah… About that. Amano Yuuma, thank you for the date. It meant a lot to me. But I think it would be best if we cut things off right here."

She blinked. The _fuck _did he just say to her?

"W-Wha…?" the realization had yet to dawn on her. "Are you… Are you breaking up with me?"

The idea alone was ludicrous. She was a Fallen Angel, a creation of God Himself who turned away from the light all in the name of lust. To any mortal _she _was the ideal woman! _None _could deny her beauty. Man, woman, and child would flock to her throughout the centuries just to gaze upon her. Wars have been started at the sheer _chance _of one of them bedding her.

Even disguised as a human, she was far lovelier than any lowly creature walking this planet. Her beauty was unrivaled, her allure gathered the attention of all throughout the day, even her false words and plastic expressions sang choruses of captivation. He should have had this _boy _wrapped around her fingers.

"You? Breaking up… with… _me?!_" she more so asked herself than of him. Something like this never happened before.

He turned to look at her. Her eyes were blazing with fury that would render any mortal running away… but not long before a spear of light would pierce their hearts. However, he was completely unfazed by her glare. A look of… pity flashed in his eyes before it went away and his indifferent expression returned.

"You're not a bad person, Yuuma-chan," he said in a serious tone. "A relationship is the last thing I want with anyone. No good will ever come out of it. You've seen how people treated me. While I'm sure you're capable of taking care of yourself, I don't want to get you dragged in to my mess. People will come to harass you. It's best we leave here before things get any worse."

She still couldn't wrap her head around it. Regardless of his reasons, this _mortal _was turning away from her. He should be flaunting over her every move, throwing himself to the floor so she could walk all over him, _begging _to be punished! Instead, his words, his posture, his deliverance was nothing but casualness. He was dismissing her as he would about sharing news of it being a slightly cloudy day. She was one of the Grigori! A Fallen who surrendered her Grace for the pleasures of the flesh! He should be her eternal slave!

"How dare—" she rose to her feet and summoned a spear of light within her hands. However, he wasn't there. She was sure he had been standing there the entire time. She had been staring at him in absolute fury for his rejection. Instead, he was gone.

No, she realized, he had left a while ago. The sun had lowered just enough for the area to darken slightly, indicating she had been lost in her thoughts for enough time. He must have taken her silence as acceptance and wandered off towards home.

"T-That… That _brat!_" Raynare hissed and then canceled out her spear of light. "I don't care if he's the Night Angel at this point. No one just walks away from me!"

*Scene*

_~Kylar, did you have to use that illusion charm on her?~_

"Glimmer," Kylar Drake, or currently known as Hyoudou Issei in this period, corrected. "And, yes, I did. She was going to kill me. I couldn't erase her memories; Fallen tend to have higher resistance to Talent compared to humans. Dragging out her sense of time, on the other hand, wasn't impossible. Better than killing her and gaining attention from her superiors."

_~If you're going through all this trouble to remain a secret, why not just start anew or, I don't know, ask Azazel politely to leave you alone?~_

"Negative attention aside, I happen to like this life. It's quiet. Peaceful even. I worked hard to incorporate the proper background on this alias. We both know that man can't keep a secret. It's a wonder how he's still a part of the Order. I enjoy not having any major supernatural organization breathing down my neck, trying to persuade me to kill some enemy faction leader, or trying to kill me, horrendously failing, and then starting a new war in the aftermath. I like things the way they are. And I don't plan on changing them anytime soon."

_~…Can we do something about the perversions, though? Kylar… it was hilarious at first for me to watch you squirm like this… but I think you made it work too well.~_

"…It's for the best," he said with a shrug. And a _very _heavy sigh. There were some days where even he regretted how things went out of proportion. "No one has bothered to getting close to me since the rumors started. Hey, if we're lucky and someone manages to shank me when I'm not looking, maybe Matsuda or Motohama will be taking the toll."

_~Ah, your dark humor never ceases to amaze me~ _Though it had no physical form in this state, let alone a humanoid figure even when manifested, the Ka'Kari rolled its nonexistent eyes as it expressed it telepathic words in heavy sarcasm. _~That Fallen girl was trying to, however. You may need to take care of her sooner or later. We've seen her type before. She's bound to be back relatively soon.~_

Issei frowned as he opened the door to his house, shut it, locked it, unlocked it, and then locked it again— an ancient habit he'd inherited from Durzo and could never rid himself of. "Yeah, I know. When the time comes, I'll deal with her. Hopefully in a way that won't draw attention. I _really _like not having to fight in any secret wars against the supernatural."

_~Kylar, Kylar, Kylar, isn't that all we ever do? Even in our days of peace?~_

*Scene*

As predicted, he couldn't so much as walk out of his house the next day without getting a crowd of angry schoolboys harassing him. They didn't give him much of a chance to answer their questions as they already decided he was guilty of blackmailing Yuuma (if that was her real name to begin with) into going out with him. Naturally, they tried to _correct _him with their fists.

He would then spend half the day trying to get his way out of the police station because, apparently, _he _was in the wrong for putting seven boys in the hospital all in the name of self-defense. Officer Takahashi, the one always in charge of leading the Hyoudou Incidents (they even had a special file cabinet _just _for him), would give him a long lecture about self-control. Now, Takahashi was one of the few who knew Issei was anything but a sexual delinquent… as he was the one in charge of the investigations. However, he still couldn't like Issei because Issei's 'condition' made the officer work late hours and get in trouble with his wife.

In response, Officer Takahashi always took his time filing the paperwork to release Issei. For as long as possible. What could normally take half an hour, an hour at most in some cases, would take _six hours _whenever Issei was involved.

By this point, Issei had long stopped caring. There was no point in arguing against a system he had no control over.

The evening began with the sun starting to set by the time he was released from the station. It was a common occurrence to see him strolling out of the automatic doors at least once a week. And when the sighting stretched out onto the eighth-day mark, even the police became alarmed and looked into what he was doing and why. It was sad when he knew more about the officers' lives than he did about his fellow classmates.

With the day practically ruined, he couldn't do much other than return home and finish his homework. He still had a project to finish, weapons to clean, a garden to tend, the _other _garden to harvest, and skills to sharpen. This little vacation from his career was no excuse to let his abilities rust.

He was barely halfway when something caught his eye. It actually made him flinch as he knew the feeling better than anyone. Every now and then in a new body he had difficulty adjusting to the new limbs and would often fall flat on his face in a stumbling mess.

Which is what he was seeing right now. Some poor girl had tripped over the hem of her dress and fallen flat on her face. She didn't even try to stop it. Her arms flailed around as if able to grab the air, she fell over, and then _WHAM! _Face, meet asphalt.

He knew he shouldn't get involved. The same shit he had to go through today will happen the next day if he went to tend to this girl. More rumors would start. A riot would break out. Shit would hit the metaphorical fan so hard it would feel like grenade shrapnel.

"Hey, are you okay?" he ended up asking as he knelt down beside the fallen girl.

_~You should really listen to your own inner monologues sometimes…~_

He ignored the voice in his head and instead tried to help the girl back up to her feet.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry. I tend to fall… a lot…" the young lady responded in Italian. It took him a second to register her words and to set his mind into her language. Being an immortal did not grant him the ability to understand all languages (unlike _most _immortals in this forsaken world). He had to learn them through the _human _method.

…By studying for endless hours, forgetting after neglect, and then relearning them all over again.

"You don't need to apologize for anything," he responded in a flimsy Italian he struggled to remember. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

His eyes widened. He jumped away from her. She was a girl no older than fifteen with long blonde hair, fair and freckled skin, and vibrant green eyes. But her face… the shape of it, the height of her cheeks, the arch of her nose, the thickness of her lips… they were all details this girl shared with _her._

With his first and greatest love, Elene.

_~Kylar, breathe. Breathe and look again.~_

"Mister… are you all right?"

Gods. Even her voice sounded exactly the same as hers. But Issei listened to the black Ka'Kari and reexamined the girl again. He didn't know what he was looking for. Everything about her was exactly the way he remembered Elene… when her face had been perfectly healed by Khali and ridden of all her scars. He never forgot her face. Never. Not even an endless stretch of time could distort his memories of her.

_~She's not her, Kylar. LOOK.~_

"…Yes, I'm fine," he said. But not in Italian, not even in Japanese. He spoke as if he was talking to Elene all those centuries ago. He spoke in Cenarian, in a forgotten language he had never forgotten to speak just as he had never forgotten how to breathe.

_~You're NOT fine,~ _argued the black orb lodged inside his core. _~Get your ass in gear or so help me I will slap you! I'll find a way to do it too!~_

The girl patted the dirt off her dress and smiled beautifully at him. Gods… even her smile was so much like Elene's. It was driving him mad. "Thank you very much, mister. May God bless you and— oh no! My clothes are flying away!"

Her suitcase had opened as soon as she collapsed. Her clothes had fluttered everywhere and were now being taken away by the wind. She ran past him, trying to gather what she could, hopelessly chasing after things too high from her reach…

…And carelessly running into oncoming traffic.

He pulled her out of the street before a compact vehicle turned her into splattered mesh.

The act made her squeal in alarm and land in his arms. He held her steady, making sure she could stand on her own before releasing her. There was one distinction he could contrast Elene with; this girl was a complete ditz. At least Elene knew what she was doing all the time.

"Um… t-thank you again, mister…" the girl bowed her head in embarrassment. She realized what she had attempted to do and had almost died for it.

He should just walk away. Those passing by on the other side of the street were already whispering amongst themselves. He could already hear the rumors spreading. Oh look, someone had pulled out a photo and taken a picture. He could _read _the headlines tomorrow morning.

Instead, he patted her head and said firmly, "Stay here. Don't move."

He approached the street, looked at the oncoming traffic, and evaluated his path in order to get all the clothes without them being damaged by any vehicle. He called upon a little bit of Talent to heighten his physique as well as to slicken certain parts of his clothes. The spellcraft was invisible even to the most sensitive of today's magicians. Only the mages of his time could be able to tell what he had been able to do.

Well, that and today's magicians mostly used Devilry. Hardly anyone was born with Talent these days.

He dove for the street, picking up three articles of clothing in one swoop, sliding against the asphalt on his knees and using the momentum as well as his Talent to keep going. He changed trajectory, gathered a few dresses and some undergarments, spun and used a passing car to change his direction, and picked up another set. He jumped forward, skidded on his heels, shifted in a new direction, and picked up the last pair before leaping back onto the sidewalk.

The girl clapped her hands with a large smile on her face, "Mister! That was amazing! Thank you so very much!"

"…Uh huh," was all he said as they went to the suitcase and together folded the clothing back together to have it all fit. He needed to stop. The more he was hanging with this girl the more outrageous the rumors were going to get.

That… and she was still far too much like Elene for his liking.

"Watch where you're going and take care. Enjoy Japan while you're here," he waved off without taking a final look at her. He couldn't bear it any longer.

"Wait!" she called out to him, tried to run after him even. But she tripped and fell again. She groaned in pain but bounced back on her feet with surprising dexterity. It suggested she was accustomed to accidents like this quite frequently. "Mister! Please! I… I'm a little lost. C-Can I trouble you for some directions before you go?"

_~…It's only directions, Kylar.~_

He scratched his head but nodded.

Her smile brightened as she approached him once again. "Y-You see, I was reassigned to the local church in this vicinity. But I'm not very good at understanding the language of the land and can't read any of the signs… Can you tell me where the church is?"

His brows came together. He was more than aware of the… political control over the city. This was marked as a Devil's territory and most of Heaven's influence had been run out. There were still a few shrines and houses of worship in the city, but all of them had long lost their influence. Most were closed down or in ruins. But… guessing by her dress and the veil she wore… she was probably a Catholic or Christian nun. The only church to fit her criteria…

…was taken by the Fallen.

"…There's one I can think of," he eventually said but chose his words carefully. "But it's been out of commission for a few years now. I think a little before they built the Academy— sorry, you wouldn't know anything about that. Other than that, there's no active church in the entire city. Are you sure you have the right place in mind?"

"Kuoh City," she nodded. "I assure you the church you're thinking of is—"

There was a small grumbling noise. One he was familiar with as no matter how many centuries and lives passed it was always the same.

Her cheeks reddened as her hands went to her stomach.

Issei put a hand to his brow with a headache growing. "You're in a foreign land, you can't speak the language nor read it, you're completely lost, your place of occupation might not even exist, and you're hungry. Wait. Let me guess. You lost your money, right?"

"…It…" she looked away with her face becoming as red as a tomato. "…It was in my pocket when I was on the bus from the airport… Yesterday…"

Oh. And she's been on the road since _yesterday. _Swell. She hadn't had a meal and probably a good shower since she got here.

He was SO going to regret tomorrow morning.

"Come on then," he said as he lifted her suitcase over his shoulder. It was pretty heavy and didn't have any wheels on it; it was an older model where one would have to carry it on their own or have someone else do it for hire. It also meant she had been carrying it along with her throughout this misadventure by herself. The thing was probably a good forty pounds. The girl couldn't possibly weight more than a hundred, maybe even less. _How _the hell she managed this long to keep smiling was beyond him.

Fuck. She was just like Elene.

And maybe this was why he was willing to go through hell tomorrow for her.

"My place is around the corner. You can have a meal there and freshen up. Then we can discuss where you need to go."

"W-W-W-What?" she sputtered and bounced around on her toes. "M-Mister! I couldn't! I-I-I only need directions and I couldn't possibly trouble you any further!"

"…Consider this a welcome from my country," he said as he began to walk down the street. "I'm not going to take no for an answer. No offense, but you look like someone who needs _a lot _of help."

She didn't say anything further as they walked down the road. Her head was bowed most of the time. It wasn't until they were a few blocks away did she finally speak.

"…Thank you, Mister. You're the first to be so kind to me since…"

She let that sentence drift away. It would seem she had her own baggage like any other individual, perhaps a little more than the average. He had learned only those who smiled the most were the most troubled. After all, when Elene had the name of Doll Girl back when he, Jarl, and she were growing up in the slums, Doll Girl always smiled no matter what. Even as Elene, with a scarred face that distorted her beauty and society to shun her, she continued to smile as radiantly as the sun.

…Son of a bitch. This girl was becoming more and more like Elene with every second.

*Scene*

He didn't know what he was doing. He should have just walked away. He should have handed her a few bills and then be done with her. The worst that would have given him was a few rumors about him trying to buy the _services _of a girl cosplaying in a nun outfit. That he could have dealt with. Instead, he brought her home, told her to use the facilities, and was in the kitchen cooking them both dinner.

He put a lid on the pan and needed to walk away from it for a minute. His fingers rubbed the vein by his temple in soothing circles. What was he doing? Why was he breaking everything he worked hard to achieve for the sake of some stranger? He swore he wouldn't get close to anyone during this lifetime and was jeopardizing everything with this.

He knew the reason. He just didn't want to admit it. That girl, Asia Argento, looked every bit of the woman he had fallen in love with since his earliest days in the slums. From her smile, to her doll-like large eyes, to her sincerity, to even how she carried her faith in the One God like a cloak.

Gods. He missed Elene so much. Centuries, nay, _millennia _have passed and he could never let her go. He had many lovers in the past, even had children spread throughout all corners of the globe, but _she _always had a place in his heart above the others.

She was the only one he married, after all.

"Mister Issei?"

He lifted his head to gaze at the nightmare he had willingly lured. Asia was in a similar gown that went a little ways below her knees and shortened sleeves. She looked like a porcelain doll now that all the sweat and grime had been washed away. So harmless. So fragile…

Just like his Doll Girl.

"Sorry, had a bit of a long day," he forced those thoughts away. This _wasn't _Elene Cromwyll. This was Asia Argento. "How are you feeling?"

Her smile hurt him. "Y-Yes! I feel wonderful! Thank you very much for letting me use your bath! But… I… I hope I'm not troubling you. I really don't wish to intrude. You've already done so much for me and—"

Her stomach gargled again, twice as loud as before with enough ferocity for her to stop talking. It sounded pretty angry.

"…Why don't you take a seat?" he pointed at the table just outside the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"Ah! P-Please let me help at least a little bit! It's the least I can do!"

By this point, he was making a chart in his head between the comparisons and contrasts between his Doll Girl and this Asia. While they were strikingly similar, there were little distinctions that separated the two. For example, Elene would never ask for such permission. She would invade his cupboards and set the table even if it meant intruding within his space. She would make herself useful and wouldn't take no for an answer. Elene was an independent woman. Hell, she wouldn't have gotten herself in this situation in the first place.

She also wasn't a klutz; such a thought ran through his head when he began to ponder what Asia could do to help right now. Handing her some silverware and glass would end in… poor taste.

"…You can help me clean the dishes afterwards," he eventually said. "Right now you're my guest."

"Okay," Asia nodded but never lost her smile. If anything, it grew a millimeter from his answer. "Then please take good care of me."

In a few minutes they would sit across of another at the western-style table with silverware instead of chopsticks. Neither of the two said much to another. It was mostly Asia who talked while she ate, saying how good the food was and questioning what some of the dishes were before _and _after tasting it. While the girl was starving, she still had the discipline to have fair manners.

He mostly kept quiet because he had difficulty with the entire situation. By no means was he rusty in the art that was table conversations. His job demanded him to seek information by any means necessary. But that was as _Kylar Drake_. As Hyoudou Issei, however, there was a certain mindset he had to follow else lose the character entirely. Such as, for this instance, being a young man hated by society as a ludicrous lecher and spending countless nights eating alone with his 'parent's away overseas.

Thus, having someone in his home, sharing a meal with him, was so different from his routine he had some… complications readjusting. Kylar Drake was always suave, controlling, fluent, and charming when needed. Hyoudou Issei on the other hand… Actually, now that he thought about it, Issei didn't have a set personality and responses. He never needed to make one for this persona as he never planned on _anyone _getting close to him.

These were the things he told himself during the quiet meal. However, in the back of his mind, he knew these were all just excuses. The truth of the matter was simply what had been bothering him ever since running into this girl. She reminded him far too much of Elene.

It was starting to become annoying.

"Thank you very much, Mister Issei," Asia placed her utensils down when her plate was spotless. Not even the juices from the meat remained. "The meal was delicious! I can't thank you enough for your kindness."

He nodded in acceptance to her compliments. "You don't need to call me 'Mister' with my given name. Friends just call me Ise…"

Son of a bitch. He did not mean to give her his nickname. And _friends?! _What friends?! Motohama and Matsuda?!

He grimaced at his careless mistake. He was getting too attached to the girl already. He was _really _hoping one of those two perverts would be the cost of the Ka'Kari. "Asia, would you mind if I ask you something? That church you're heading towards… are you aware it's run down? And I don't mean it's something you can just fix up. I mean it's literally falling apart and will need some major financing and a whole construction crew to rebuild."

And it was the den of the Fallen lingering around the city. But he first needed to figure which branch of the Church Asia had belonged to. Whether she was a part of the mundane or the supernatural division.

"Well… yes, I have heard that," she admitted. Her smile faltered into a thin line. There was sadness in her eyes. "But I've nowhere else to go. B-But don't worry! I have… friends there! They promised to take good care of me—"

"Are you aware they are Fallen?" he asked, taking a shot in the dark.

He nailed it. Her eyes widened. She looked away this time.

He sighed and crossed his arms. "What you have going on is none of my business, I get that. We all have our problems, our secrets, our baggage. I know you're not an Exorcist here to hunt them down. You're very devoted to your faith from what I can tell and _actually _believe it unlike most so-called believers that pass through here, so calling the Fallen 'friends' isn't something you were given a choice on. My point, I don't need to know what's going on or why you're here, so I'm only going to ask one question. You only need to answer yes or no.

"Are you in trouble?"

It was the best he could offer her. He was not warming in his statement but neither was he cold. He laid everything out on the table for her to see and gave her options. She was still a stranger to him and didn't need to know her personal problems. He would respect her privacy. She also didn't need to answer the question. And if she didn't, he will still make do with his promise and escort her to the Fallen territory.

"…I… have nowhere… else to go…"

Her voice was so quiet he had to amplify his hearing with some Talent from her first word. Her head was bowed as her arms lay stiff with hands gripping her knees. Tears threatened to fall as every emotion she had managed to dam was starting to break through. She was stronger than most girls, who in today's society would _bitch _about the most inconvenient of things, but instead she kept a smile no matter how bad things got. However, after given an ounce of kindness, her natural defenses were crumbling apart.

He could see the conflict within her. She wanted to tell him everything. But she was scared— not of him, however. She was still holding herself back as she didn't want to burden him any further than what she thought she was doing. Her morals were compelling her psyche of its necessities that was comfort.

"…The house needs a lot done," he began in a slow tone. "Most of the chores go unfinished since it's just me living here. Laundry, cleaning, and tending to the gardens mostly. The meal you just ate isn't free, either. Plus the water bill for the shower you just took. If you do a few of the chores I think you can pay it off. But not everything can be completed today so I'll need you to stay in one of the guest rooms. I'll have to charge you for that as well. Looks like you'll be staying here for some time, Miss Argento."

He said these things in a stern tone, as Kylar Drake more so than Hyoudou Issei. His demands could not be argued. The look of his eyes practically told her she was now his possession.

She began to cry. But not out of betrayal. No. She had seen through his words and saw what he was attempting to hide under the carpet, so to speak.

Any progress from the conversation was put on hold by a ringing of the doorbell. Not that he could have said anything further with Asia balling her eyes out. He left her to sort things out in her head as he went to the door. He had a feeling he already knew what it was.

And he was right. But the timing couldn't have been any worse.

"…Officer Takahashi," Issei gave a blunt greeting at the man he had seen twice this day.

The uniformed man nodded with his same annoyed expression. This was the normal song and dance between them. And if one were to peer over his shoulder, they would see a small crowd of people gathered at the gates of the Hyoudou residence. Most of them contrived of men— _burly angry men— _and a few women.

"Hyoudou, we received some reports about you kidnapping a nun off the streets and forcing her into your home…" Takahashi recited as if it were a line from a script. Such in a way it had been repeated countless times and the line had lost its credibility. Which was true, in a sense. "So what's the story… this… time…?"

He trailed off. His eyes flickered over Issei's shoulder, down the hallway…

…and spotted a crying Asia.

Issei banged his head against the edge of the door. _This _was going to take one hell of a glimmer to get himself out of. And even if he managed to place a charm on Takahashi strong enough to compel the man to claim everything was in the clear, he would have to deal with the spectators outside his house. Issei knew he would have to deal with them as soon as he left his house. And he would have to eventually if he was going to go to school the next morning.

Lord Nysos, there was going to be so much bloodshed these next few hours.

*Scene*

"Well, this is certainly interesting," Rias Gremory began the talk at the front of the school gates with all the students surrounding her. Her fans watched her every move, listened to her every word, worshipped _everything _about her. She kept them as witnesses and shields.

The Fallen girl waiting at the gate entrance wouldn't dare to make a move in front of so many spectators.

But just in case things did go south, Himejima Akeno, Rias' faithful Queen, stood right beside her.

Raynare turned her head and give a dispassionate glower before turning her attention back towards the school entrance. She was waiting for someone, that _boy _to be specific. She hadn't been able to find him in his home the day before and so decided to be a little patient and wait for him to come to her. She even tolerated the little Devil _bitch _who thought she was all high and mighty because her big bad brother was the fucking king of the Underworld.

Rias kept her charming smile up and played along, "What's a girl from a _rivaling school _doing here at Kuoh Academy, if you don't mind me asking? You should have let me known you were coming so I could have prepared a better welcoming~"

Raynare's brow twitched. The girl wasn't going to go away so she might as well enlighten her. Plus, Raynare _was _overstepping a few bounds by coming to the headquarters of _two _High-Class Devils. "I'm waiting for someone. My boyfriend~"

She even went along with Rias' charade and spoke in her Yuuma persona. She hated it, but it had a solid effect as Rias' brow twitched ever so slightly. The red-haired Devil did well to mask her emotions, but she was still so young and so fresh. Raynare had been playing this game for centuries.

"You don't have to keep me company, I know someone like _the _Rias Gremory must be super-duper busy," she added. "Plus my boyfriend will be here any minute and we're be out of your way."

Rias and Akeno shared a look. They weren't buying the fact a Fallen Angel had suddenly gotten attached to a schoolboy just like that. There were always reasons behind their machinations. Fallen, especially egotistical sorts like Raynare, were more prone to making the boys come to her than for her to wait on them. There was clearly more at play here. It had gotten their curiosity even more.

"Nonsense!" Rias waved a hand with a _friendly _smile. "It's always great to know members of our Academy are getting along with members of another school. I'd like to wish you both congratulations and wish you well as soon as he arrives."

They both smiled exquisitely at another, like painted porcelain masks. None of them moved, none of them broke characters. But hidden underneath both their facades was something truly atrocious.

Raynare's eyes snapped towards her target. Rather, her ears had caught the attention first. It wasn't hard to trace the wave of teenage antagonism. He practically wore it like a cloak. As he walked down the quad, he parted the sea of people like a certain prophet once did.

Issei walked out of the main building, but not in the same condition they departed in. Heavy bandages wrapped around his face, an eye patch over his right eye, and a sling was wrapped around his shoulder for his left arm. It looked like he had gotten in a mean brawl and came up the bitter loser. Still, he walked in the same casual manner as he normally would. He walked as if the wounds hurt as little as the insults.

Their eyes met. She smiled in victory. He blinked once in acceptance.

…And then turned on his heels and went back into the Academy.

Huh. He thought he was _so _smart.

"Ise-kuuuuuuuuuun~" she called out. He visibly flinched.

Victory was hers indeed. She knew how to control people. She had done it for centuries. He thought he could run away from her. Not in the slightest, she said! She had used his reputation as a weapon.

He turned back around over his shoulder and glared angrily at her. She could almost _feel _the words those eyes translated to say 'You bitch'.

She smiled lovingly at him. "Sweetie! Over here! I've been waiting for you!"

She watched with glee as he began to panic. His head swiveled around, trying to find a new path to escape to. Suddenly, the school entrance was blocked as a hoard of students had rushed out to check if what they had heard was correct. Therefore, retreating back to the main building was out of the question. He was quickly being surrounded by students who were mingling in the quad or walking out to head home, suddenly turning their attention on him. Even students who had left the school grounds came rushing back, closing his last ditch of escape.

He was sweating. Everyone was glaring such hate onto his being she wanted desperately to laugh. But she held it in, barely, as though it were a breath of air she _needed _to intake else suffocate. But she held it in nonetheless. She would lose if she began to laugh. She wanted to make him pay for her humiliation.

The words were coming. She listened to the stories these children manufactured on the spot. And they were glorious! There was so much hate in their silly squabbles she could almost drink it like finely aged wine. And the boys— they were gathering together, closing the distance towards Issei, rolling up their sleeves and—

"That's enough!"

But then, Rias Gremory had to ruin all the fun. Raynare clicked her tongue. She had forgotten about the harlot.

Rias strolled forward like a ferocious lioness prowling forward to defend one of her own. Students had tried to stop her, tried to plead with her that it was _only _Issei, but one look at her made them step down. And none of the boys would dare to stand up against the number one school beauty in all the Academy. To do so would place them immediately on the shit-list almost on par with Issei's reputation.

"Are you all right?" she asked when she was in adequate enough space within his proximity. She had heard, indeed, of the rumors before. She knew who Hyoudou Issei was. But to think they would treat him like some _monster _that needed to be put down… He hadn't even done anything to warrant any malicious intent. His so-called girlfriend only said hello.

"Nothing happened, so I'm fine," he waved it off dismissively, though there was a glint in his eyes that suggested he was relieved. "If it's alright, I would like to go home now."

"Go right ahead," she said with a small apologetic smile. "I'm sure nobody will stop you this time."

He nodded and made his way back towards the gate. He even went the extra length to walk a fair distance around her. She knew everyone was watching him closely, purposely looking for any reason to lash out on him and twice so because _she _was involved.

A round of gasps unanimously going off made the air shake by their depth. Issei's head snapped towards the hand that had grabbed the hem of his sleeve. Panic crossed his face as he looked into the eyes of the one who stopped him.

Akeno, the King's faithful shadow, had followed Rias into the fray. While all eyes were upon Rias, she went along hardly unnoticed. She had been in Rias' shadow for so long one would know something was wrong if Rias was without her. Still, she was the second most sought-after girl in the Academy and had a small brigade of boys (and some girls) under her command.

She was the one who grabbed his sleeve, to make him stop walking, and to stare long into his one good eye.

"Um… Y-Yes?" Issei gulped as a single bead of sweat ran down his brow.

She didn't move. Her eyes bore into his, almost in a crazed and desperate examination. "You… Are you… You couldn't be…"

"…Akeno?" Rias called out to her friend.

Akeno blinked and realized what she had done. She released her hand, looked at her surroundings and all the students watching the spectacle, and put her same hand to her lips.

Masterfully, fluently, she slipped back into her school persona and gave a small chuckle, "Excuse me, Hyoudou-kun. I needed to make sure about something. Everything is fine now. Have a nice day."

"Um… right…" he said nervously. He gave a small polite nod towards her departing greeting and hurried his way out of the school before another incident could strike up.

Rias watched him leave while keeping an eye on her Queen. Akeno kept her smile up but her entire attention was locked on Issei. Even as he departed and turned around the corner and out of sight, she continued to trace his movements. Rias didn't miss how in the last second she had placed a tracking spell on his sleeve.

Her eyes flickered back towards the gate. That Fallen Angel was nowhere in sight. Rias almost dropped her persona and let the frown slip.

"…Buchou, if it's alright, I would like to request the evening off," Akeno muttered below her breath, only quietly enough for Rias to hear. Many of the students were lingering, discussing what they had just seen. Hardly any of them were going to leave anytime soon. "I've… an errand I've forgotten to do."

Rias almost rolled her eyes. Almost. As if she was going to believe that excuse. Nevertheless, her Queen rarely asked for time off. She could count how many times she's asked so with one hand and several fingers to spare. "Of course. Just make sure you get everything you need, okay?"

"Of course, Buchou. Of course…"

*Scene*

_~Hey, hey, Kylar! Do you hear that?~_

"Not now," Issei groaned as he wiped the bead of sweat running down his brow. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the Ka'Kari's sense of humor. And the little shit had the audacity to question his!

_~That's the sound of your balls shriveling up by a super vacuum. It's called an implosion! They say stars and planets were made by such tremendous force.~_

He wouldn't even dare to insult the little cretin. To do so would admit it was right and to admit defeat.

_~But I do win, Kylar. Remember, I'm in your head. I hear EVERYTHING!_~

His brow twitched in annoyance and _thought _nothing further on the matter. All of his focus became a tunnel as he blocked out any stray thoughts, any distractions, his surroundings, and focused only on what lay in front of him. Of course, he would never dare to leave himself exposed and so ran a sonar of Talent throughout his body. It couldn't pick up his surroundings but it would warn him a second in advance if something was within his proximity. While most humans, especially gifted ones in the supernatural arts, won't be able to dodge a _bullet_ traveling its adequate speed with only a few meters in advance to know it was coming, Issei could dodge it.

…Most of the time. If he was lucky.

However, as his eyes honed in on his house, if _she _were wielding a gun, he'd be dead.

Standing with utmost poise and patience at his gate entrance was Himejima Akeno. Her head tilted towards his direction as she gave him a wondrous smile.

He approached slowly, carefully. "Himejima-sempai… You do realize this is my home, right?"

Her smile grew in, dare he say, excitement. "Yes, I'm very much aware."

"…And you do realize who I am?"

Again, it grew. "Yes. I know who you are."

Things… weren't making any sense to him. "Um… and that… doesn't bother you?"

This time, she stepped forward. He instinctively took a step back. In doing so, she took another step forward. "I've no reason for it to bother me."

Her eyes darted behind him. They focused on something. He turned his head around to see what she was staring at. Nothing. There was nothing there except an empty street.

It was just a distraction.

She closed the distance, gripped his jacket in a vice with her hands, and pulled herself close to him. When he spun his head around, when his instincts kicked in to break her limbs and shove her away, he was caught completely off guard. He almost did.

She kissed him. She pressed her lips against his, pulled him closer towards her, wrapped her arms around his body to close the gaps between them, and opened his mouth with her tongue. She invaded every inch of his space, held his torso close to her chest, and ran her fingers through his hair.

She broke away once, in a split second to gather her breath. He tried to say something. He couldn't as she went in for round-two.

He found she was _strong. _Inhumanly so. He thought about breaking free with his Talent and knew he could. But to do so would harm her. He didn't want to do that. There was no reason for him to break her limbs or shatter her ribs simply trying to break a kiss.

…He also missed this feeling. How long had it been since he's had such physical comfort? How long had it been since he'd felt the warmth of a woman?

No. He needed to shake away those feelings. He couldn't afford to be swept away by them. There was a reason why those rumors about him existed.

"Wmmt!" he tried to get her to stop. "Hmmjma-mmpmmh!"

She finally broke away, but wrapped her arms around his neck and refused to budge. She panted, her eyes were glazed but locked directly on his.

"I've always wanted to do that with you, Kiri-kun."

"…Who?" _Extreme _confusion swept his face.

"Please don't do this," she said as the tears began to form. "Kiri-kun, I thought you were dead. I thought _they _had killed you. I know it's you!"

"Himejima-sempai," he tried to pull free but she was unwilling to let go. "You have me confused with someone. I'm not this person—"

"I know who you are, _Kylar Stern!_" she shouted in outrage, sorrow, and joy all mixed into one explosive cry. "Those stories… I always believed them. I _know _it's you!"

He almost broke his mask. He knew who Akeno was. He'd always known. It was merely by coincidence he had wound up enrolling in the same school as she. He should have done his research better but it was too late. Still, he kept his head down in the Academy and never drew attention… at least not the sort for her to look into him so carefully. She was living a wonderful life and didn't need his supervision. She had grown into a lovely lady surrounded by a loving family.

He didn't exactly think she would remember those stories. There were only three nights he told her about the wetboy named Kylar _Stern. _With everything else happening during her childhood he had figured she would remember those instead of the little moments.

But, he knew, it was the little moments that mattered the most. Sitting together and eating a single loaf of bread with Jarl and Doll Girl in the slums… something that would make anyone look at them in pity or disgust was something he always treasured deep in his heart.

It would seem Akeno had done the same thing.

"I have _no _idea what you're talking about," he denied anything further and managed to slip out of her grip. "Listen, Himejima-sempai, I'm sure your… loved one is still around. But I'm not him. I'm sorry."

He moved away from her and crossed through the gates of his house.

"I know it's you, Kylar," she wouldn't give up. "Do you want to know how? You're wearing colored contacts! Your original eye color is blue and your shapeshifting won't work on the color of your eyes."

He gave her an incredulous look but turned away and proceeded to walk down the path to his door.

"You have no scent!" she shouted next.

He stopped, fully turned to look at her with his brows scrunched. He opened his mouth to say something, cut himself off with a shake of his head, and went back towards the door. He couldn't believe of all the things to distinguish him she chose that little detail. Well, his reaction worked as a way to make her look crazy to any spectator.

She leaned over his fence this time and shouted before he opened the door. "I placed a tracker on your sleeve! Do you _really _want to know who I know it's you? Magic _cannot _touch you! My tracker vanished immediately after it touched your clothes!"

"I don't believe in magic, Himejima-sempai," he sighed and entered his house. "Please go home."

He meant to close the door. Her hand was there to keep him from doing it. By the gods this girl was persistent!

"Fine!" she argued further. "The last thing I know it's you! If this doesn't convince you to admit it I will walk away from here and never bring this up again."

His brow twitched. Asia, the nun from yesterday, was standing in the hallway but he was blocking her vision to see what was going on… and to stop the deranged girl from peering inside to see her. He gestured for Asia to keep quiet, to which she agreed with a few nods of her head.

He sighed and opened the door just enough for Akeno to see his face. He leaned against it though, just in case she tried to force her way inside. He even channeled a little Talent just in case.

"You told me it was a curse," she said in a firm tone. "That you wanted everyone to hate you so you would never have to be close to another person ever again. That you would never be allowed to have the chance to get to know somebody. But you never told me why. I know it's you, Kiri-kun, because that's exactly what you're doing now as Hyoudou Issei. _You _started those rumors. _You _first called the police and made those reports. _You _published those headlines. _You _made the entire city hate you so _no one _could ever want to be close to you. My King and the Kaichou were always curious as to why and how you had so much influence over the city and turned it against yourself, and now I see why."

_~…Busted.~_

"I don't want to hear that from you of all people…" he growled out aloud. The statement was vague on who it was directed upon and so either… _beings _listening to him could take it as either of them. Eventually, Issei slammed his head hard on the edge of the door, stepped away, and opened it for Akeno to come in.

*Scene*

The stew was set to cook while they all gathered around the table. Asia had prepared some tea while Issei gathered a few light snacks before dinner was finished. There was a heavy atmosphere within the room but things had settled enough for everyone to begin the conversation.

And the first thing Akeno did was slap him. Hard. With the might of her Fallen heritage mixed with her augmentations as a Devil's Queen.

"That's for lying to me," she said in a cold and unforgiving tone.

"M-Miss Himejima!" Asia dropped what she was doing and rushed to Issei's side. "Ise is injured! You shouldn't—"

"Oh he's fine~" Akeno waved off her concerns. "His injuries are all self-inflicted; he could have thrashed all those boys who did that to him. Besides, I knew he could have dodged me but Kiri-kun is a gentleman. He took it anyways. Serves him right, I think."

"You know…" Issei wobbled to his feet. He had difficulty regaining his balance as his world was still spinning. "I'm not like you people. I'm still this little squishy creature called a _human. _Maybe I just wasn't expecting you to hit me seconds after you ate out my face."

Akeno huffed as she crossed her arms. "Well it still serves you right. It's not nice to play with the heart of a maiden, _Kylar._"

"Um… Ise…" Asia still went to his side anyways despite the… circumstances going on between the two of them. "What happened to you? You were fine this morning before you left! Here, let me heal those—"

"It's fine," he brushed her hands away. "I'd prefer they heal naturally anyways. Causes too much trouble if they suddenly vanish the next day… especially when most of the kids saw me get mobbed. Don't worry; I heal faster than the average person. They'll be gone in a day or two."

"What I don't understand is _why_ you would be willing to do this to yourself," Akeno stamped out. Those who have had the privilege of knowing her for the past few years would find her charming, constantly smiling in delight, and (to the more intimate of friends) rather twisted in her perverse pleasures. However, all of this was washed away by the given circumstances.

Upset could not begin to describe how she was feeling. She had always known about the existence of Hyoudou Issei. The click of students who followed the Two Kuoh Ladies kept them up to date on his latest sexual exploits. She knew he was the enemy of everyone in the Academy, who had been only allowed to remain in school due to a lack of evidence. She also knew he had several charges filed against him only to have them lifted from, just the same, a lack of evidence. Local tabloids belittled his reputation. There was even a report on the news station some time back.

Rias had looked into the depth of his rumors and only found him innocent. But it was the Kaichou, Sona Shitori— or _Sitri _as was her Devil's name— who managed to uncover the finer details. She had reached into deep pockets of the city's nightlife to uncover it; the necessity to go to such lengths to find anything about Hyoudou Issei was what drove her to follow through. It had turned out Issei had _paid _several individuals in several departments all over the city to keep his reputation afloat.

He could have done it so he could have been a saint in the eyes of the public. Instead, he had gone the completely wrong direction and made matters worse. _He _made everyone hate him.

The neglect, the abuse, the constant beatings and harassment from his peers… these were all things he had done onto himself.

"…There is a price for everything, Himejima-sempai," he answered in a cold tone. "I'm only making sure the cost isn't so… grievous."

Her face contorted into both pain and rage. "Don't you dare start calling me that. After all this time… am I nothing to you? What happened to the steward's apprentice who played with me and shared fantastical stories when no one else would?"

"He died during the coup that would result in your mother's death," his eyes glared coldly, more like frozen blades of steel that cut into her. There was also fire in them; but a fire filled with deep hatred that swallowed all warmth. "My teacher stabbed me; over, and over, and over again and again even after my blood drenched the floors of the study and body had gone cold. He said the family could not afford for me to intervene any longer. Your mother died three days later."

"I… I don't believe you…" she said through a hissed tone, barely constraining her emotions. "You're here, aren't you? _You _are _him, _the Night Angel. When the family came for me next it was a man hidden in the shadows who led me to safety. You hid me away in a safe house. And it was my disobedience and naivety that got us exposed to the family. But you still protected me—"

"I sold you to Sirzechs," he retorted. "_Sold. _I did not hand you over to the Devils for better protection. The daughter of a Grigori lieutenant was… invaluable. It's only coincidental he gave you to his sister. It's also coincidental while I'm here doing another job you two happen to be here as well."

Akeno stared at him. Disbelief and acceptance clashed within her mind. The memories of their time together in the Himejima estate could have been looked at differently now that he stated these facts. He did not take apprenticeship for the better sake of his future. He had woven his way inside the family's affairs to learn their secrets and to use them for his own benefit. Even in the stories he had told her, the wetboy Kage— secretly known as Kylar Stern— was a mystical wet-worker who vanquished the wicked in the name of justice.

But justice was anything but kind. It was _just, _but never fair.

Something within the family could have had them branded as 'wicked'. It could have been anything. From the family's private affairs, to their actions of exorcising demons, to even— Lords of the Damned forbid— the conception of _her. _She was the birth between the union of a shrine priestess and a Fallen Angel.

She braced the table as the thought shook her core. She needed to remember. At what point of time did the pageboy named Rikiri Kiriguya come to their doorstep asking for an apprenticeship? What was the exact date he told her?

"I only let you in here for closure," he said as he gestured back towards the main entrance. "You have it. I am still alive. Now leave. And don't come back. I will also warn you to keep your mouth shut about those _stories. _I don't have a reason to kill your master… yet."

"…I still don't believe you," she said defiantly.

"Tell a _lie _enough times and sometimes it may become the truth," he quoted in a mocking tone. "We're done here, Himejima-sempai."

"…I don't believe you," she muttered again. Her face was red with both fury and pain. Tears threatened to fall out of her eyes but she held them in. She refused to give up, to break down and give in to defeat. "This isn't over, Kiriguya."

"It's Issei now," he snapped and made a gesture for her to leave.

She didn't go towards the door. She stepped deeper into the house, towards the living room, and stood on top of the large carpet sprawled across the center. A glow of red energy sparked from her hands as she began to weave them into intricate patterns in the air. Shortly, a magic circle formed from her artwork which then mirrored itself directly below her feet. The red light increased as the spell of teleportation was beginning to extract her.

She looked at him once in defiance. This _wasn't _over. She vanished a second after and all trace of her existing within the house had disappeared with her.

Asia, who had felt like a burden during the argument, had occupied herself by setting the table. She had set a place for Akeno but was not wondering if it was a good idea. Nevertheless, she finished the duties she assigned for herself and began to serve the meal she worked most of the day in preparing.

"…Mister Issei," she began in a low voice, calling out to him from the other side of the table. He hadn't moved while she was scurrying around. "Please come and eat. I'm sure… you'll feel better…"

He brushed his hand through his hair, "Not sick or anything. But, yes, thank you Asia."

They sat together for some time in an awkward silence. He was sure she had questions but she wasn't going to voice them out. Some obligation was keeping her from doing so, just as he had never asked anything about her. They had an understanding of another.

But some things _couldn't _be kept in the dark.

"…Mister Issei?" she spoke up, using the formal address instead of the nickname he had offered. "Why did you lie?"

Between bites, he looked up at her. The same cold-steel gaze struck her.

She flinched, "I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude! Please ignore what—"

"What makes you think I lied?"

She blinked. That cold gaze was still there but… something deep within them had thawed out. It still hurt her to look at them as they were more vicious than anything the people from the Church had lashed out at her with. Even being branded as a heretic did not hurt as much as the look in those eyes. But… there was a small flicker of warmth below the surface. _That _she could grasp at to face the cold.

"…Because I know what it's like to be alone," she answered without care. She drove straight in without fear of him lashing out at her. Rather, at this point, this was her talking to herself. This was something she had denied to herself for a long time. She was using him as an excuse.

"I was… a Holy Maiden of the Church," she began to tell her story. "There was a dog I had found in the middle of the street. A wagon had run it over and it was going to die. I cried my eyes out and prayed to God with all my might for Him to save it. My prayers were answered and the dog was healed.

"The Twilight Healing, they had called it. The healing powers I have… you've seen them when I scraped my knee last night. The Church called me a Holy Maiden. The people idolized me; they came from all over the world just to get a chance for me to heal them.

"…But I never had a friend. The children I played with stopped. The priests who watched over me kept me at a distance. The people I healed worshipped me as an idol instead of as a person. I didn't have anyone to talk to. I was so very much alone I cried myself to sleep at times.

"A week ago, there was a man who was wounded. He came to me and begged for me to heal him. I couldn't leave him and so I did.

"But then the priests and the practitioners began to call me a heathen. They said my power was unholy. The man I had healed… he was a Devil. I was branded a witch and was forced to flee from the Church. I grabbed what I could… T-They… They were going to burn me, Mister Issei. The people who said they loved me!

"The man who helped me escape… he was a Fallen Angel. He was kind and told me where to go. He gave me a ticket for a flight and false documents for me to travel. He said I would be safe from the Church and his followers would protect me. I was so scared but I listened to him because I had nowhere else to go.

"But then… I met you, Mister Ise."

He listened to her story. Questions in his head were answered but he didn't need them. He didn't need to know anything about her. He didn't _want _to know anything.

But now he did. Now she was just one step closer to him. He could sympathize with her story, could even relate to it on certain events he lived through. He was beginning to have a pact of understanding with this girl.

He couldn't afford that.

"I… I don't know what's between you and Miss Himejima…" she spoke again after a moment of silence. "But I know you really don't mean those things you said to her. I know you're really a kind person! I… I know there's a reason behind it…"

"What's your point, Asia?" he asked with a bit of edge in his tone. He _needed _to distance himself with this girl as quickly as possible.

She didn't cower this time. Her brows scrunched as she countered with her own ferocity, "Being lonely like this is not worth _anything!_"

They were both quiet. There was no sign, no flutter of movement in his expression, but his eyes shifted in focus to dangerous levels.

She saw this. But she refused to back down. She firmly believed in her words; she believed in him. He would never do anything malicious without just cause. She believed he was a good person.

He placed his spoon down. It had been crushed in his grip. "A life for a life. If I stay alive, away from anyone else, so too can they. I'm not in trouble, like you, Asia. I _am _trouble.

"The Himejima family did not kill her mother. _I _killed her mother."

He spoke in truth. There _could not _be any argument in his statement.

There was a small gasp coming from Asia. Her eyes widened slightly as his words reached her mind. She tried to deny them, tried to find some fault in his words, in his tone, in the statement itself. She wanted to hold to her beliefs for him. She wanted to deny this evil and keep him in the light.

She could not do so. He had killed Akeno's mother. But… there was more to the story. He had only shared so much to keep her quiet. He didn't elaborate what lay hidden in the darkness.

"…O-Oh…" was all she could say as she bowed her head and went back to her meal. Rather, she stirred the liquid around with her spoon in idle motions. She had lost the strength to eat, let along enjoy the companionship.

*Scene*

Dawn was rising by the time he returned to the house from his ritualistic training regimen. The lights were on, indicating Asia had been up for some time and had yet turned them off with the approaching sunlight. He could make out the smells of various spices and the clatter of instruments coming from the kitchen.

Only, there were two problems. First, he recognized the scents belonging to certain eastern dishes. Asia had no idea how to make any of them.

Second… Asia was sitting at the table.

"Welcome back, darling~" greeted Akeno as she came out of the kitchen with large bowls and plates coating her arms. Her Devil's strength had given her the aptitude to balance all of them.

…The fuck?

"Breakfast is ready whenever you are~" she said sweetly… and he could have sworn he saw a heart-shaped twinkle appear right after she winked.

"…I thought I made myself clear," he said in an even tone. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Kiri-kun," she _giggled _with her face blushing slightly. "I love you too."

His mind came crashing to a halt. He tried to replay the last few seconds in his head and corresponded it with the last time she came around. The two didn't add up. There was a wall of sorts between them and trying to make them work together had them both crashing into a great wreck. There was even an explosion, a raging fire, and little metaphorical abstract representations of thought running around in an attempt to put it out.

He looked once at Asia. She wasn't looking back at him. She was struggling to get a grasp on using chopsticks for this Japanese breakfast.

"I…" slowly, almost painfully so, his mind began to reboot. "Did I say anything last night to say any of this is okay?"

Akeno placed the last dish down, cycled around the table, and approached him. She did, however, keep a fair amount of space away from him. Her loving smile never faltered as she began to elaborate. "Oh, everything you said was very cruel and hurtful. So much so in fact I almost cried as soon as I got home. Almost. I was on the verge of believing everything you said and was planning extraordinary ways to make you regret upsetting me… _very _delicious ways, I might add. But then, after I was extracting the poison out of a nightshade, I had something of an epiphany. More like a small thought that had drifted at the last second. But it lingered.

"Looking at all those wounds you still have tells me something. You would go to such great lengths to push people away. Everyone hates you because _you _wanted this to happen. Now I don't know exactly what the problem is, but it has to do with a certain _price, _am I correct? Meaning you don't want me to get involved. Well, Kiri-kun, I'm here to stay. And the harder you try to push me away the more I know you still love me~"

…The _fuck_?!

"That… How… _How _did you come to that twisted logic?" he tried to follow through. Truly he did. But her way of thinking didn't have a pattern he could understand. And this was coming from an immortal entity who had _millennia _of understanding human-based concepts, including the troublesome extraterrestrial beings known as women.

"Now come on," she drew close, only to give him a playful push against his chest. "Breakfast is waiting."

*Scene*

The world was frozen. No one could move. Issei hadn't seen such a state of immobility since the Freeze. Seriously. People who were walking and talking suddenly stopped in animation. The passing of vehicles stopped in traffic. He even saw a family of birds hovering in midflight, being suspended in their space without having to flap their wings.

It was all because Akeno _would not _let go of him as they walked to school. And he had tried his _damnest _to either get her to leave him alone and to escape her clutches. Neither attempts had worked, even with his prospect of Talent. He was tempted to just turn invisible right then and there, even if it meant exposing his identity to the supernatural creatures always watching as the Night Angel.

Much like with what Raynare had almost succeeded in, the reputation he had built upon his self was working its magic. And Akeno was the greatest of catalysts— no, she was a bloody amplifier. As the second most sought-after girl in all of Kuoh, the _city _that is, to see her in the arms of the vilest of people brought incredulous dark thoughts.

Issei began to sweat. The amount of dark thoughts these teenagers were having against him were attracting the attention of the ancient and primordial Daemons. The invisible dark spirits were popping out of their dimensions to see what the commotion was. Luckily, there hadn't been a Talented individual except him; the Daemons couldn't invade their bodies and turn them into Ghuls.

But still. Lord Nysos, these teenagers had some dark thoughts.

"Himejima-oneesama," one sturdy third-year approached with his group of friends (plus more) in tow. "Please blink twice if you are being held against your will."

She stopped smiling. At first, they took that as a sign that she was, indeed, being held against her will. However, they stopped in their tracks when something _cold _shivered not through their spines but through their very being.

…Because the Second Great Onee-sama of Kuoh Academy glared at them through eyes of death. These boys were dead to her. And if they did not retract their words or walk away, her visualization of their rotting corpses would become reality.

"Himejima-sempai is—" he tried to make up something on the spot to turn things his way. Some excuse like he was blackmailing her or she was in his dept. It would have kept the students hating him while, give him a reason to tolerate Akeno's obscure habits, and to preserve her reputation.

He tried this. He couldn't because she slammed her Devil-enhanced elbow into his gut.

"Ise-kun is my _boyfriend~_" she said sweetly, almost sickly so. There was venom in her tone as it was directed at the group of boys. "I am not being held against my will, I am not doing this because I don't want to, and I am not doing this out of some obligatory reason. I am doing this because I love Ise-kun. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to enjoy what time I can with him before class starts."

She strode past them, dragging a coughing Issei along the way.

On this day, the mythological prowling monster lingering in the darkness had gained a new legend. No woman, no matter how great, fair, and pure they may be, were immune to its hypnotic manipulations. A new fear was born on this day. When it came to this beast— this Hyoudou Issei creature— _no one _was safe when its attention was gained. Not even the unreachable Himejima Akeno.

*Scene*

The sun was setting by the time she found him on his way home. Raynare had been patiently waiting for him at the bridge where they first met. She pretended to be texting on her phone like any other adolescent snob should be in this day and age.

He looked tired, more mentally than physically. But he still carried himself with dignity as he kept his back straight. Though there was a slight slack in his posture with how he kept one hand in his pocket and his bag slung over his shoulder in the other hand.

He didn't say a word when he walked by her. He didn't even bother looking at her.

She shut the phone and stood up from leaning against the railing. "Why if it isn't Ise-kun~"

He stopped but never looked at her. In a second he continued to walk.

She dropped the Yuuma persona and talked to him how he deserved. "How _dare _you walk away from me! If you know what's good for you, you will turn back around and face me."

She didn't dare release any of her power into the open air. A mundane human would crumble to their knees at the pressure. _If _Issei was such, she wouldn't obtain what she wanted from him. No, he was a common human lowlife. If he _were _the Night Angel, there wouldn't be a need to be walking among their like and biding by their rules. The Night Angel could stand against the united force of the Three Factions— what did the greater divine being need to fear from a bunch of _monkeys_?

Issei gave a weary sigh as he lowered his satchel down to his side and turned back around. "Look, I've had a tiring day. I'm really not in the mood for any more harassment."

She approached him with a grace humans would fail to replicate. She was a being forged from the fires of Heaven and crafted by the Hand of God Himself. She was perfection made real; being Fallen only gave her a corporeal form.

Raynare looked at him in a dull stare. Truly, there was _nothing _appealing about this human. He was far too flawed in every feature about him. "You've done me a great disservice. You've humiliated me, Ise-kun."

His brows came together slightly. She approached him further. He tried to move away but she closed the distance before he could move away. Tenderly, in a loving caress, she put her hand over his right cheek.

With a smile as radiant as a new dawn and words as sweet as honey, she spoke almost in a song, "I kill those who've wronged me."

She saw them flash through his eyes— the feelings she desired from him. Disbelief at first, skepticism, followed by doubt in his own thoughts, conflict, then acceptance, and finally fear. He had looked upon the eyes of an ancient entity. No better truth could ever be expressed through a human.

"But I won't, at least not yet," she said tenderly as she gave him a light pat on his cheek and distanced herself. In the tone of Amano Yuuma, in such a playful tone it could have been innocent had it been about anything else, she chorused again in a singsong tune. "I will make you suffer, first. But I'm not going to dirty my hands in silly things like torture. No, no! I'm going to humiliate you a thousand times worse. I'm going to—"

He turned around and began to walk away. The last thing she saw was a bored expression on his face.

She stood there frozen, blinking, unable to process what just happened. She, a higher being, had threatened to ruin him. He, a _lesser _being, had just turned his back against her as if she wasn't worth his time. A _cockroach _had just walked away from the boot that was about to crush it.

This time, her power flared. The light around her began to shimmer from her fury. _Fuck _humiliating him. She had enough of him! With an extended hand, the light began to gather to her grip as she processed a spear of light.

She threw it with the speed surpassing a bullet. It streaked through the air, tearing through the layer and creating a sonic boom akin to thunder.

The spear struck his back, but did nothing further from making him stumble a few steps forward. She had seen something shimmer in multiple colors as soon as her spear made contact. A barrier! Just a simplistic wall of magical energy woven together without a magic circle!

He looked over his shoulder, his expression now more annoyed than fearful. "Why would you think I wouldn't protect the weakest spot in my defenses?"

"You… You're a Magician?!" she shrieked more so in disbelief than anything. This hadn't been reported at all by her peers. There wasn't even an ounce of speculation that he could have been magically gifted. He had no workshop, he had no records relating to magic, he had no ancestry of the supernatural, and he never showed signs of using magic within her observations.

Then again, she hadn't seen him craft that barrier. She didn't' even sense it. It could have been there always without her knowledge. And maybe, just maybe, it worked as a cloaking device as well if it covered his entire body. Maybe this was why he never appeared in any of their scans.

"Not really," he shrugged and decided to turn around to face her. "I'm… _Talented._"

"Well, whatever," she said in a low tone. Another spear of light appeared in her grip, this one brighter and sharper than the last. "You're clearly not educated in the magic arts. But if you can block my attack then it means I don't have to hold back."

"...While I'm sure your cleanup is reliable," he began to try and talk his way out of this one. "The Devils won't take kindly towards you making a ruckus in their area. They especially won't if you do so in the middle of the day and get humans involved. There's a highway below us in case you've forgotten."

It made her think of her options. He, annoyingly enough, was correct. She couldn't afford to give the Devils a reason to become hostile before their mission was finished. They still needed to find the nun Kokabiel had sent them. Killing this boy right now would cause too much of a problem.

However… "You cannot run forever. Sooner or later, you will be all alone. Night always comes. You will need to sleep."

They stared at another with the sound of the ongoing traffic below them being muffled out by their focus upon the other. He was evaluating her, debating with himself over the potency of her threat. Magician or not, he was an amateur at best if he was using pure mystic energy without a catalyst or a formula. He wouldn't stand a chance against a Fallen who had been through the Great War, even if she was only a pinna.

His expression did not shift so much as his face simply… melted. Like a mask that had dribbled away only to reveal something else, something _unknown_ hidden behind it. His eyes were a blade, sharp and indiscriminate towards those who opposed him. They were aged enough to have Raynare begin to question herself. She scoffed at the idea at first, but something within her told her not to push him any further.

"…So will you, Raynare."

Her eyes widened. _How?! _How did he know her name?!

She blinked. He was gone. The sun had set a little more by the time she realized she had been standing alone. Her anger flared that much greater. Twice couldn't have been a coincidence; he must have used some sort of magic to alter her sense of time. He must have said those words to open a gap in her mind and slip in some sort of illusion.

She swore, the next time she had the chance, she was going to take it. The hell with the consequences. _No one, _not even a lowly Magician like him, makes a fool out of her _twice!_

*Scene*

"Miss Himejima won't be joining us tonight?" Asia asked as they sat together for dinner. He had given her money to go shopping for groceries as well as a map. He had expected her to be gone for some time, presumably to have gotten lost, but he was surprised when she came back less than an hour later with everything he requested.

He barely had enough time to end the conversation on the phone by the time she entered the hallway. In time, dinner was prepared and they gathered at the table for each other's company.

"Himejima-sempai has her duties as a Devil," he shared with her. There was no point in hiding anything from her, especially when Akeno had outright admitted to being a Devil plus not denying from him about her Fallen heritage. Asia was a member of the supernatural side of the Church; she did have a Sacred Gear after all.

"Tonight it'll be just you and me," he finished. There was a bitter taste in his mouth as soon as he began to eat. Her cooking was exceptional and he knew she would never poison him— that, and he knew how to distinguish the taste of most poisons. No, the bad taste was coming from the fact he was beginning to like Asia. This taste was a result from guilt.

"Tonight will be our last night together," he said through hardened eyes.

She stopped eating to look at him. "Am… Did I do something…?"

Those eyes. God fucking _damn _those eyes! They were not of the same color but _everything _about them reminded him of Doll Girl. Those eyes looked at him in fault. She was blaming herself for something she knew nothing of and was worrying about ways to make it right.

"Do you still love the Church, Asia? Do you still pray to your One God?" he questioned.

"Y-Yes," she gave a slow and steady nod, never looking away from him. "I pray to the Lord every night before I go to bed. And… the teachings will always be a part of my life. Even if I am no longer welcomed, I won't stop practicing."

He nodded in acceptance. "Good. I've gotten in contact with some people that owe me favors. Tomorrow I will take you to the bus station and you will get on. The driver will take you to them and they will take you into any of the Church branches of your choosing. You will be receiving a pardon from the Pope and be permitted acceptance back into the Church. Just make sure to not heal any Devils next time."

He had to cash in a lot of favors he kept in reserve for important or emergency situations for this. They were a lot of things he had to get from other immortal creatures residing inside the 'holy' den that was the Vatican. They were things that took him a century— some several— to gain. But it was worth it.

He didn't want Asia to be a part of his life any further.

"You mean… I can't stay here…?"

Of all the things… His brows came together at this. He was giving her what was wronged of her, of a life that was stolen without her control, and she was asking for _this? _To stay with some strange man she had but a few days to know? She _didn't _know anything about him. He had refused to share anything with her and had taken great care to avoid her at all times except dinner. He kept an eye on his mannerisms and kept his responses short, cold, and reclusive. He didn't want her to get close to him nor to give her a chance to.

Of course, it had happened anyways.

"I won't be here," he replied. "I've been compromised. I'm leaving and never returning. And even if I do, you will never be able to find me. I'll be someone else. So if we ever do meet again, Asia Argento, you won't be able to recognize me."

She sat back in her seat. "Did… Did I do something, Mister Issei?"

She asked again, unsure of herself. Her distant tone suggested she was simply asking the question out loud, not fully expecting an answer.

The dinner tasted like water and crackers after that. Very stale and flavorless. But the guilt would wash away in time. It always did. There were countless others before Asia who had the misfortune of knowing him. Some had been closer. Some had become lovers. And always, always, _always _they wound up dead. Even those he abandoned would be used as his substitute whenever he made a mistake. If there was so much as a sentimental feeling towards them, they were to be marked as the next sacrifice for the Black Ka'Kari.

Such was the curse of being the Night Angel.

Such was the life of Kylar Drake.

He put his fork and knife down when someone knocked on the door. Banged on it, more like. They refused to go away. He knew the group of _children _would try to harass him about Akeno. Well, since this was his last night in the city as Hyoudou Issei, he might as well go out with a bang. Maybe even use some Talent to lay off some steam. He's had three years of pent-up aggressions from his own misadventures.

…There was only one person at the door, however.

The Black Ka'Kari inside him stirred. This man was _sopping _in sin.

"Why hellooooo there little Devil worshipper~"

*Scene*

Akeno delved into her work as was the norm. Her clients were usually perverted old men who had frustrations due to their age. Their wives being moody or losing their attraction, the local girls never wanted to have a one-night stand with some old geezers despite their wealth, or the brothels were simply too unclean for their taste. Now, she wasn't the sort of Devil to let them have their way with her. That was someone else's department. Her job was to… curb their appetite, so to speak.

Take now for instance. Her current client was the CEO of a major corporation with its main office out in Tokyo. While he _could _hire the best prostitutes or sway the finest of ladies with his charm and financial prowess, such pleasures have become dull to him. And while he _could _summon the succubae of the Underworld, one does not start off with the most potent of vices off the bat. Something light was in his need.

Naturally, he still didn't know what he had asked for. Akeno was anything but _light _in her duties.

She, literally, walked all over him. Strangely, he was a repeat customer. He _had _summoned the succubae on a few occasions but continued to call for her services because no other being on this planet could stimulate him like the way she could. She always pushed him around, stepped on him, insulted him, and, every now and then, struck him with some of the instruments she would bring along. And he loved every part of it.

"Did I say you could lick my feet?" she whispered softly but with such authority she truly fit her role as a Queen. She pressed his face back down to the ground with her bare foot as she sat in his office chair. It was made of such fine leather but sadly couldn't compare to anything the Gremory clan had. It didn't even compare to the chair Rias used in the Occult Research Club back in the Academy.

Most Devils would feel sickened at this play. Oh, before this man she could make herself feel like a higher being with how she treated them. Real Devils didn't play pretend like this exercise. But she enjoyed every part of it just as much as the man simply because it was humiliated him, made him suffer, made him squirm as she continued to tease him and never gave him an inch no matter how hard he struggled. She loved how he was constantly at the breaking point but never allowed him to continue. Twice he had tried to have his way with her when his mind had broken but she put him in his place. This cycle went on and it was almost time for him to snap for a third.

She licked her lips at the idea. Oh how she wondered how she was going to put him down and _punish _him this time. She loved this part of her job. They were so much better than the exorcisms of dark spirits.

There had been a lot more of them lately, oddly enough. Especially today. She had five contracts from the local Shinto priests for assistance. But there was always a little bit of time for… _fun._

At this thought, her smile increased as she pressed her foot down harder.

*Scene*

While her Pieces were fulfilling their duties and gathering contracts, Rias Gremory sat behind her desk and went over the reports she and Sona had been working on for the past few months. The mundane populace had spread rumors about some black humanoid monster appearing out of seemingly nowhere and frightening the locals. Ever more curious, the sightings had only taken place when there was some petty crime about to happen or was in the process of. Some of the criminals had mentioned they had spotted this creature, others had claimed it was the creature that attacked them, and some of the captured were just left rambling mad about its features.

Without a doubt, wherever there was a trace of evil, this creature had appeared. Did it devour the evil? Was it some sort of dark spirit devouring evil and sin in order to make itself more powerful? Had it reached a level where it had obtained a sort of corporeal form for the mundane to see traces of it?

Neither she nor Sona could come to a conclusion. If this dark spirit, assuming it was a spirit in the first place, was after evil essence in general then it would have assaulted them with their high reserves of demonic energies. Sona believed this creature was biding its time and was of high intelligence. It could have been gathering its strength in order find the opportune moment to strike.

This theory was reinforced when the Archduke had sent a mission for Rias and her peerage to remove a Stray Devil that had invaded her territory. She gathered her forces and went straight to the last seen location in order to investigate, track its movements, and then hunt it down.

However… when she got there… the body of the Stray was already dismembered.

There wasn't a single trace of its demonic essence even when its corporeal form remained. It was as if all of its demonic energies had been… devoured.

After the incident with the Stray, she always made sure to keep an ear to the ground in all the supernatural affairs going on in her city. She had been lax in her duties due to the lack of excitement, but now was a time to be on alert. She and Sona pulled their resources together and set up a network to share information with another.

However, they met several roadblocks on the way. Information on certain particular fields and departments within _her _city were blocked off from her access. It had nothing to do with her being the official overseer of the Devil's territory of Kuoh. No, this was something the denizens of the city itself had decided upon and had set up their own network without her knowledge. Some other individual had penetrated her home and had set up a base of operations.

And they were doing one hell of a job in keeping her in the dark. Informants that she once thought were reliable had given her shifty knowledge, some had gone missing, her familiars were blocked passage from certain buildings as they were sealed with powerful magic protections, and several other problems continued to knock her off her feet.

She couldn't even investigate the happenstance of the Fallen lingering within her territory. Whoever was in charge of this third-party syndicate did well to keep their affairs in the dark. But, in doing a crosscheck, any information regarding the affairs of the Devils was kept just as mum.

Basically, _no _information regarding the supernatural was being uncovered. She had to resort to the tabloids, messages on the internet, and some rumors spread through ear.

That's right. Her 'reports' contained _nothing _but newspaper clippings.

And, just like any other night, she hadn't made any progress at all in uncovering any of the mysteries she swore to solve. She was doing poorly as the overseer as this had been out of her control far longer than she realized. She couldn't even deal with the dark monster if she couldn't gather any information outside of public access.

"Buchou~ I'm back~"

Rias looked up from her desk and removed her fake glasses. Yes, fake. She only wore them because they worked as a sort of trigger for her mind to get into focus. "Akeno? That was… fast. The sun only set a few hours ago. Are you sure you're not overdoing it?"

Akeno cackled with a hand over her lips, "Ara, ara, Buchou. I'm perfectly fine. Is there anything else I can help you with or can I retire for the evening?"

Ah, so that's what this was about. She had plowed through all of her contracts in order to get off of work early. Normally they wouldn't finish until midnight. She capped off the night with three hours to spare.

"Akeno, while it's great you've reacquainted with your… childhood friend—"

Truth be told, Rias didn't know _anything _about Hyoudou Issei. Akeno had given her a vague story about the two of them and played her word games to avoid any deeper questions. In fact, Rias didn't know if they _were _childhood friends. Her search through Issei's records indicated he lived in Kuoh his entire life, went to school in the local establishments, and entered Kuoh Academy for the sole purpose of receiving a higher education. If any of these records were true, he shouldn't have been Akeno's anything.

Something didn't add up. Especially when the boy had his hands in several entertainment businesses, media centers, and… red-light establishments. Official records said people under different names were the actual owners and managers, but her dive into the machinations of her city told her otherwise. The boy was rich, impressively so for a mundane human.

_Something _didn't add up.

"…You shouldn't push yourself just for his sake," Rias continued without pause. "You saw him earlier this morning, joined him for lunch, and then waved him off the school grounds at the end of the day. Don't you think you're also smothering him?"

Akeno's smile grew. Never a good sign. "Oh Buchou~ I haven't had the pleasure of smothering him with his pillow yet."

"That's not what I…" Rias shook her head. Why would she even bother? "I guess… so long as you don't lose your breath and can keep up with your duties… I can let you leave early. But don't become a burden to him."

"Why Buchou, you're not worried he might have his way with me?" Akeno teased. "I'm quite the dainty flower in a weak state having seen my first love risen back from the dead. He might take advantage of this."

Rias shook her head again. "If he does then I'm sure you're more than capable of handling it. But if you are a… _dainty flower _and he takes advantage… I'll deal with him myself."

Akeno cackled, "Well then, I'll make sure to have my wits about me. I can't have you taking what I deserve away from me. Hmm… I do hope he tries something. Now do I let him or punish him first…? Have him push me down, tear off my clothes, and ravish me? Or do I fry his skin, peel off the muscle, and—"

"…Akeno," Rias called out bluntly.

"Oh, dear, did I say that out loud?" Akeno questioned with a knowing smile and a playful tone. "Excuse me, Buchou. Have a pleasant night and wish everyone off for me~"

*Scene*

"Tape," Issei called out and extended his hand.

Asia, hesitant at first, pulled a good length of the duct tape and handed the end for Issei to measure how much he needed for himself. Finding an adequate amount, he bit off the end and brought the material around to finish his project.

The Exorcist who _tried _to storm his way inside chose right now to spit a wad in Issei's direction, who had predicted would happen and had moved easily to the side. "FUCK you shitty ass fucking Devil whoremonger loving shit—"

Issei brought his hand around and slapped him. With the amount of bruises and cuts covering his face, the slap sent jolts of electricity that even the Exorcist's apparent torture training had failed to protect him from. He was rendered quiet enough for Issei to seal his mouth shut with the strap of tape.

To call it a battle would be laughable. It was furthest from a battle. The Exorcist had made the mistake of _heavily _underestimating Issei. He assumed there was nothing special about him. Hitmen of the art would always research their target. Even if this character had, they would find nothing special about Issei. As far as most thought, Issei was a normal mundane human.

So when the Exorcist charged in with a small dagger aimed at the abdomen— in a particular spot that would hurt but wouldn't kill— Issei whiplashed three hits to shatter his knee, break his grip on the knife, and plant his palm straight into his face and effectively breaking the nose.

The Exorcist tried to fight even after being disoriented. Issei could have knocked him unconscious, but he had been wanting to let out some steam. Last day 'alive' and all that. So he smacked the Exorcist around a few times, making sure to leave the guy conscious.

He'll admit, the guy was pretty tough. He still had the fire to fight. And Issei wanted to smack him around some more but Asia begged him to stop.

They resorted to tying him up in one of the dining chairs. All of his weapons had been stripped and sprawled in an order across the kitchen counter, far away from the Exorcist's reach. There were the exorcism blades and guns of light, a few number of daggers, a pistol with twelve rounds and one in the chamber, and three grenades— fragmentation, concussion, and flash-bang.

He could interrogate him. He _should _do such. But he would be calling one of his people instead to handle this mess. He already had to deal with Asia and for making a new identity while continuing his ritualistic duties as the Night Angel. Vacation or not, even officers and doctors weren't exempt from fulfilling their oaths.

There was also the blood at the main entrance he needed to wash away. He couldn't sell the house with the door and hallway stained in blood.

He eyed over his prisoner and his bindings. The tape was wrapped in specific spots all over his limbs to suppress his more dominant muscles from moving. If he could not lift them then he couldn't gain any leverage to squirm free, let alone burst through the tape. Still, countless similar occurrences have made Issei almost as paranoid as his master— possibly twice so due to the madness and fear of death. He made sure the tape was reinforced with a weave of Talent.

"Keep an eye on him and shout if he tries anything," he told Asia. He also pulled on her arm and placed her behind the couch, giving a gesture to tell her to not move from the spot. _If _the Exorcist managed to break free, there would be that split second the couch would provide as a hurdle for him if he came after her. And that would be more than enough time for Issei to charge in. Leaving her be, he made his way to the utility closet and began to pull down the necessary things to clean the blood, including the toxins and chemicals he tucked away in the secret compartment.

Down the hallway, he dialed a number on his phone and put it between his ear and shoulder while he began to mop. It rang only once, but the receiver did not say anything. Issei spoke in a very low tone in Alterian— yet another ancient language humanity had forgotten but something he could never let go. "There's a small disturbance at my location. An intruder. Extract him from the premises with discretion and get rid of him. I've been compromised. I can't act out any further from this. Proceed with the schedule as planned afterwards."

He shut the phone and tucked it in his pocket and went back to work.

It didn't take him very long to clean up the blood. Years of paranoia mixed in with experience of vanishing without a trace had made him a master of several brands of espionage and stealth. In a number of lives he was the head butler of prestigious families as well as the lowliest of janitors for the sole purpose of learning better methods.

He wasn't surprised to see Akeno sitting in the living room, patiently waiting for him in one of the spare sofas with her mirthful smile. That smile was especially twisted tonight as her eyes did not so much as examine as they did appraise the bindings he put on the Exorcist. It grew when she saw him approach.

"I'm impressed, Kiri-kun," she began in a playful tone. "Perhaps you could demonstrate your techniques on me some time? For educational purposes, _of course~_"

He didn't humor her as he began to put things away. He didn't bother to greet her either other than a small glance in her direction, merely to accept her presence.

Most of his attention was locked on the Exorcist. The man didn't try to fight. He wiggled around here and there, testing the strength of the bindings and evaluating his options. Most would try to tug at every inch to find a gap, grow tired, and then try again once their captors were away. But not this man. He was sitting quietly, accepting his place, but also looking for a way out of it. He was a schemer who had been trained to deal with these situations with precision. He was waiting, observing them all, and absorbing every piece of information about them to be used later.

He should knock him out before he became a problem. Drugged him, maybe. Perhaps just kill him so he wouldn't be a problem in the short future. The man was drenched in such sin little droplets of it dribbled onto the floor as if he had come in from a storm. However, through the eyes of the Night Angel, the man was not guilty of anything. He had killed but never murdered— at least not in the Exorcist's eyes.

Whatever. It wouldn't be his problem in a few minutes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Akeno when he had put things back where he belonged. He locked, unlocked, and locked again the secret compartment quick enough for ears to believe it had been a single lock with multiple tumblers.

A dainty brow rose but she played along in her own unique way. It was beginning to become tiresome to him. "I can't visit my boyfriend in the late hours, exhausted from work, and hoping he doesn't have his way with me in my fragile state?"

A normal man would have taken her to bed by the silky tone of her voice. A teenage boy, rich on hormones, would have jumped the gun or fallen on their knees. Akeno was a seductress, a natural one at that. She had a body many would have killed for— both figuratively and (he knew a few who would) literally. She was given the perfect physique of a Fallen, the mystique of a Devil, and the flaws of a human to make her beauty transcend both her supernatural species. Not many Fallen and Devils alike could compare to her.

But she was going to have to try harder than relying on _natural _charm to seduce him. The courtesans in the red-light district had a better chance. They knew how to charm people of all kinds. Akeno only relied on what was given to her on birth and never needed to sharpen her tact. And why would she? Beings of both genders had flocked to her by simply existing. But, in the end, she was simply a teenage girl who was trying to warm her way into the heart of her first crush.

A _crush. _There was no real love between them.

He ignored her as he went back to his work. There were things he needed to gather before he left. Now that _this _had happened, odds are the Church was going to send reinforcements to check on the status of one of their Exorcists. He would need to report shortly and if he didn't alarms would go off. In probably an hour or so his home would be stormed.

"Gather your things," he told Asia. "We're leaving in ten minutes."

Both girls remained where they remained. Asia blinked in confusion, startled at the sudden command. The color in Akeno's face washed away by both the sound of his voice as well as the words that left his mouth.

"…What," the Fallen-Devil stated more than questioned.

"Now," he barked, making Asia jump where she stood and rush up the stairs. This time, she did not stumble once.

"…Kiriguya, what's going on?" Akeno slowly stood up. She looked at him expectantly. He didn't answer as he went towards the back into the hallway and opened another closet. He pulled jackets off the rack to get to the back wall. With a bit of Talent, he punched a hole and began to pull down the plaster and wood to reveal a safe behind it. As he began to fiddle with the combination, Akeno slowly approached him. Her shoulders were shaking as her smile was gone.

"Kylar…" she said in a low voice but firm and demanding. "What's going on?"

He was pulling piles of money, jewels, and trinkets rich in magic into a small bag. He shut the safe…

…And brushed right past her without batting an eye.

She grabbed his arm with enough force to snap it in half if he were a lesser man. "DON'T IGNORE ME!"

With Talent, he pulled his arm free, making her stumble forward by the inhuman strength he displayed and she had been unprepared for. His eyes were cold, colder than she had ever seen of him. They were void of all life and drank any essence and concept of it. Colcytus failed to compete.

It made her take a step back out of fear.

"I don't have _time _to deal with you," he said. "I am leaving. If I am ever back in this city or in your presence, I will make sure the next time you don't recognize me."

"…Why?" she asked, the question escaping her lips even as her mind was at a blank.

He stared at her. His hands tapped in a rhythm against the handles of the bag. He noticed this and forced himself to stop. "You need to stop this. Love will destroy you. And you don't love me. You _think _you do because I showed you a sliver of kindness when you were young. You think you love me because I got you out of there. You think you love me because I sent you off to a master who _happened _to be compassionate. This is an illusion— you are lying to yourself.

"Ask yourself this. What makes you think I even remotely _like _you?

"Do you know anything about me? My preferences? What's my favorite color? Movie? Music? Do I even like any of those things? Do I care for them? How about what defines me outside of the _hero _of the stories I told you? Did you ever get to know me? Who _is _Kylar Stern? And did you know his real name was Kylar _Drake_? For that matter, who is Hyoudou Issei? Would you have cared for him if he had been exactly who he was supposed to be? Would you have cared for him if he _was _some misunderstood child given false pretenses against his name?

"No. You wouldn't. Instead, you flaunt over a phantasm. A fictitious character you've idolized from childish stories and never learned about the person behind the character. You've never learned that I _do not like you._"

He broke his gaze and went back inside the house. He left her petrified as he went around the house to gather things he could not leave without. If the Church was going to storm the place then he could not afford them to find some of the more obvious of his hiding spots. True, they would never be able to reach the safe house down below, but they would be able to uncover many things before then. He needed to take out as much as he could carry.

Asia came down ten minutes after, exactly the time he told her. She hadn't the time to adjust to her new vacancy and so most of her things were still packed in her trunk. Her eyes were red as her cheeks glistened from tears she had smeared. She had cried, probably while packing, and had wiped them away just before coming down the stairs.

"…Mister Issei, I'm ready," she said before spotting Akeno, who was still mortified by the main hallway.

Akeno had seen her. At first, her face continued to stare in a blank. But then, her stony expression slowly contorted into distrust. Dark thoughts and guesses cycled through her mind as she came to the most believable of explanations. She couldn't understand why Issei was running and so fabricated a story of her own. It was not a benevolent story. Her face turned, eventually, into one of distain and then absolute loathing.

After all, he was leaving with Asia and not her.

The lower levels of the house were torn apart by the time he was done. He returned to the main room with a backpack, a duffle bag around his shoulders, and two smaller bags with one in each hand. "Good. Let's go."

He went first towards the door. However, and this he somewhat expected but couldn't inwardly groan, Akeno had blocked his path. "I'm not letting you go until you give me some answers—"

"_Listen _to when people are talking to you!" he roared out, letting his anger seep through. His threatening tone made her twitch but she refused to budge any further. "I owe you nothing, Himejima. _You, _on the other hand, owe me your _life_! Now get out of my way or I will—"

His eyes flickered over her shoulders. He felt it before he saw the shimmer. A wave of magic collapsed over the house— very subtle magic the mundane and lesser magicians wouldn't be able to detect. His fingers fiddled at his sides, feeling the pressure of magic that had enveloped them all. He detected weaves of suppression. They were to keep noise from leaking out, an illusion for the house to appear the same if damages were to be made, and another to have those outside divert their attention away. It was the standard barrier every supernatural organization had used when dealing with matters on the mundane world.

"Fallen?!" Akeno turned towards the doorway.

He grabbed Asia's arm and nearly threw her behind him. She gasped at the suddenness and fell down when her feet slid on the wooden floor.

The door blew open. Issei turned, crouched, and brought his arms over his head and torso to minimize the damage. Akeno had raised a barrier of her own through her Devilry. It was large enough to cover the entire hallway but hadn't been quick enough to block the first layer of splinters.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," greeted Raynare as she stepped over the bottom half of the door.

…Today was just not his day.

"You have no right to be here, _crow,_" Akeno sneered as she raised her hand. Lightning began to crackle through her fingertips.

Raynare's eyes narrowed at the threatening gesture. A lance of light materialized in her hand as she pointed the tip in her direction. "I have as much as you do, _bat. _That magician is mine. Stay out of my way and I won't have to hurt that pretty little face of yours."

Akeno blinked. She then began to snicker. "Magician? Him? Oh no, Fallen Angel-san, Kiri-kun will outright destroy you. But you're not worth his time."

The sound of glass, plaster, and wood exploding as well as a small quake below their feet came from the back of the house. Someone else had infiltrated from the backyard. The sound of several feet rushing forward could be heard.

"Issei!" Asia screamed in alarm as a team of three other Exorcists in dark cloaks ran towards her. They each had a blade of light in one hand and a steel dagger in the other.

He crashed through them before they were halfway at Asia. The shoulder-tackle into the center Exorcist made the enemy be blown back down the hall. Still using his momentum, he brought his leg around and swept the one on the right off their feet. The force alone made the bone snap in two.

The third Exorcist was quick enough to gather his bearings and bring his light saber around. The weapon blazed with holy magic that was more than capable of harming a human just as much as any metal blade.

Issei spun, ready to strike down the Exorcist but then shifted his execution when he saw the blade of light flashing towards him. Instead of a fist, he opened his hand and clasped his fingers around something.

The Black Ka'Kari listened to his command. It slivered through his veins, seeped through his skin, and manifested in a black blade.

The blade of light was devoured as soon as the Ka'Kari made contact. With nothing to interfere, the Ka'Kari continued to travel and stabbed into the neck of the surprised Exorcist. Issei twisted the blade so the head would turn and the blood would be spilt away from him and Asia. Still using the swing of his arm, he spun around and stabbed into the second Exorcist he had felled. It slipped perfectly between the ribs; the Exorcist shuddered once before lying still, their lifeblood seeping out onto the floor.

The first Exorcist, rising to their knees, was hunched over with a hand at their chest. He wheezed as his chest was caved in, but he kept a firm grip on his weapons and glared defiantly at Issei.

"Issei! Don't!" shrieked Asia.

But he was already moving. His Talent had him closing the distance between the two in an instant. The Black Ka'Kari devoured both metal and light weapons with utmost ease as the Exorcist tried to put up a defense. His stance had been superb and would have blocked exceptionally had it been a normal weapon. But the Black Ka'Kari devours all.

It cut cleanly into his flesh with no resistance. The Exorcist dropped dead.

The engagement had been no more than three seconds. His eyes flashed towards the three on the floor, using a split second to examine their conditions and make sure they were dead. Satisfied, the Black Ka'Kari seeped back into his skin.

Asia remained on the floor, staring up at him in absolute horror. She had seen many a great number of wounded. She had healed soldiers, victims of assaults, and those horrifically wounded in accidents. But she had _never _seen any of them hurt in front of her eyes.

She had just witnessed murder. She had just seen Issei cut down three men with a wound they will _never _be able to recover from. It shook her. It went against her very nature. It made her sick.

But she was not looking at Issei in fear. No. She was looking at him in sorrow. It broke her heart to see anyone throw away such an aspect of their humanity to kill without hesitation. To remove that which made them what they are: life itself.

Issei's lip twitched. Those eyes of hers. _Damn those eyes. _How many nightmares had he lived through when he wondered about Doll Girl looking at him through those eyes? Those accusing eyes who made him question what he was doing with his life.

_~Kylar! The Exorcist! He's Talented!~_

His head swiveled around, eyes shot wide open. The Exorcist strapped to the chair didn't rip through the tape. Instead, he had torn the chair apart with limbs of wood stuck to his joints. He shot out of his imprisonment and crossed the room in an instant. He crashed against Issei, who had an instant to brace himself, lock his knees, and remain on his feet as he was shoved backwards.

The Exorcist picked up one of the dropped daggers and continued his charge. His eyes kept locked on Issei's hands, expecting his black blade to come out at any second as he went through motions to cut into him. He was skilled, exceptionally so. Empowered with physical augmentation Talent, the Exorcist was able to keep Issei dancing around.

But Issei was hardly pushed. He had been caught off guard but his reactions had been honed to impossible levels even before being bonded by the Black Ka'Kari. He dodged and deflected the slashes, using some of his own Talent to make himself faster and stronger. The Exorcist had been trained well in close-quarters combat and had experience in using his Talent. This wasn't just some fluke where he would have a burst of strength. He had a _glore vyrden, _the glow of his eyes to absorb light and therefore refill his Talent, and a conduit to channel the life energy into augmentations.

Being in the company of another Talented individual wasn't impossible. Rare beyond a means of measurement, but not impossible. Issei knew how to deal with him.

The Exorcist saw an opening. He went for it. With a fist dodged, with Issei overextending himself but a fragment, with his eyes widening at the realization, the Exorcist closed in and brought his dagger around. The blade cut into his jugular.

Only for the image of Issei to disappear into black shadows.

The Exorcist's eyes widened.

Issei was at his flank, his enhanced fist driving into his side. The Exorcist's cloak had been reinforced to withstand phenomenal force common when facing the supernatural. But it did little when Issei drove enough power to have the wooden floors cave under his feet. There was a loud boom as his fist made contact, and the Exorcist was airborne immediately after.

He crashed into the fireplace, the glass sliding door shattering and marbled tiles surrounding it cracking by the impact. His eyes widened and stared into open space. He was dazed from the concussion, tried to get back up, but couldn't find the motor functions to do so.

Issei grabbed what he could— the splintered leg of the chair— and went to finish him.

He stopped. Asia had jumped between them. Her arms spread wide open to act as a wall. "Issei! Stop! Please! No more!"

His eyes flickered to the Exorcist behind her, to over his shoulder at the small skirmish Akeno was having against Raynare, to the windows and every other point of insertion within his defenses. It had hardly been five minutes since the confrontation began. His support wouldn't be here until another five.

He _needed _to get rid of his intruders.

He would not hesitate. The last time he hesitated…

He ignored her words and kept going to finish the job. Asia backed up, drawing closer to the Exorcist even if it meant to use herself as a shield.

A shield she became. The Exorcist jumped to his feet, grabbed her by her hair, and pressed the knife against her neck. In a swift movement, he ripped the tape off his mouth and brought his hand back to pull on her hair.

Issei stopped moving. His eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Well, well, well," cackled the Exorcist. A twisted smile grew as he pushed the dagger closer, drawing a trickle of blood. "Well shit, shitty Devil lover. You like sacrilegious nuns as well? Go figure. Not as delectable as the forbidden fruits of the Church, but, hey, if you like rotten apples, whatever. Now, drop the stake."

His brows furrowed this time in annoyance. His fingers rapped on the makeshift weapon in his hands in a rhythm as he thought. T-T-Tap. Stop. T-T-Tap. Stop.

In the end, the tossed the wooden leg to their feet.

"Good, good," the Exorcists smile grew. "Now be a good boy, lie face down on the floor and— Hey! What the shit?! The fuck are you going?"

Issei had moved from the center of the room back towards the kitchen. With almost a lax care, he picked up the confiscated handgun on the counter, turned it over to examine, removed the safety…

…And pointed it at the two of them.

Asia gasped.

"H-Hey!" The Exorcist could not believe it either. He would have called it a bluff. But the cold, dead look from Issei told him otherwise. "Don't fuck with me here. I will kill her if—"

There was no warning. Issei shot three rounds at them.

The first round pierced through the arm holding on to Asia, releasing her, but the bullet landed within her left shoulder. The second bullet struck _through _her right shoulder and nailed into his chest. The final bullet clipped the side of her neck and plowed into his collar.

He fell back; she fell forward. Their wounds were far from fatal and only the shock released them both.

"Y-You shitty ass crazy mother fu—"

Issei wouldn't hear it. He fired three more rounds into the Exorcist. Three rounds through the skull. There was no getting up from that.

Asia was sobbing on the floor. Her arms were crossed over her shoulders with her Twilight Healing glowing. Her wounds closed but she continued to cry. She was looking up at him through eyes of betrayal.

He also knew they weren't because he had hurt her. It was because he went against her plea to not kill.

"Kiri-kun!" shouted Akeno from the hallway. She was on her knees, hand clasped on her waist from a burn wound. Raynare was moving away from her and bringing a pair of light spears in each hand. Her wings fluttered, pushing her forward in a gust that blew away most of the loose furnishings. She moved far faster than any human could.

Raynare, a supernatural creature of pure energy given a corporeal form, was unreasonably more powerful than any mundane human could possibly become. Only the likes of Heroes, the gifted, those born with blood of the supernatural creatures, or acolytes of a divine protector could hope to compete with her.

Issei was none of these things. But he was _Talented._

The spears of light dissolved into dust which was then absorbed into his skin at the instant touch to his torso. For a second, his skin glowed with power before it reverted back to its normal hue. Raynare hadn't seen how he had killed the Exorcists and had no clue to his potential. She had a moment to blindside him with dense spears of light to penetrate any invisible magic barrier he erected around his self. She did not expect her divine powers to simply vanish into nothingness.

The second impossible thing happened. Her momentum as well as her superior breed should have had her wrecking him into mush. He, instead, brought his fist around and made contact with her fist far too fast to be humanly possible. The ground below him cracked by the pressure of the blow. Her head was stopped as her jaw spat blood and teeth. But her body continued to travel and she was flipped around.

She crashed onto the ground, skidded, bounced, and then crashed onto the sofa before stopping painfully by the furthest wall.

A normal gun wouldn't have killed her. He picked up a dagger from the counter instead and wove a reinforcing spell on it to withstand the density of Fallen skin. The blade was now sharp enough to split the flat of paper while durable enough to not break under the strain he was about to place it under.

Of course, things continued to impede him from finishing the job.

Asia, once again, stood in his way. But instead of acting as a wall to keep him at bay, she ran into him and threw her arms around him. She sobbed heavily, "I-Issei! Please! Don't hurt her!"

_Don't hurt her!_

Something triggered in his head. Pain surged through his mind as a memory forced its way to the surface. He had said those words once. He had brought Doll Girl before his foster father, Count Rimbold Drake, and made a deal with the man to grant her a better life. This was against the orders of his master; Durzo Blint had been there instantly. He had feared Durzo would kill her for his insubordination and so threw himself before his master. He was nearly beaten to death until Count Drake stepped in.

The memory made him _hesitate. _He swore to never do so. He hesitated once… and it had cost Doll Girl, his Elene, the beautiful face that had named her rightfully so.

That hesitation made the enemy move.

Streaks of lightning from Akeno flashed over his shoulder to stop Raynare. Her spears of light blocked them. A silver shadow blurred past her, moving faster than any of them had been. One might recon it to a silver, humanoid bullet.

_~He's not just Talented! He's a—~_

Issei surged his Talent out, making his body glow with unrelenting power. He tried to push Asia aside even if it meant he would take the attack.

He wasn't fast enough.

Asia gasped when she felt the pain. Two large blades pierced through her from her back. It had been masterfully marked to avoid any fatal wounds, but the thickness of the blades alone would have her bleed out once they were extracted.

The blades had traveled through her body and had cut into his body and extended out of his back. His lower intestines and stomach weren't so much as punctured as they were carved in half. His body convulsed unwillingly as blood forced its way out of his mouth.

The Exorcist had been the assaulter. His arms were no longer of flesh and blood. They were of silver, molded to be flat like blades.

He wasn't just Talented. He was a Ka'Karifier— a being who bore one of the seven Ka'Kari. Issei had known there were three Ka'Kari he hadn't been able to retrieve. The Red, which had been tossed into a volcano and was now deep within the mantle of the Earth, the Blue, which had been tossed into the ocean and had made up the endless storm within the Bermuda Triangle, and the Silver, which had simply been lost throughout the centuries.

This Exorcist was bonded to it. He bore the Silver Ka'Kari within him. He had absolute authority over all forms of metal, could transform any part of his body into any metal of his choosing, and was impervious to death through any metal instrument. Three bullets to the head had no effect on him. He had played dead, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.

…Just as he had when he was first captured, Issei realized.

"Kylar!" Akeno shrieked from the hallway.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the Exorcist clicked his tongue in amusement. His twisted smile never left. "Such a shame. Always knew there were others like me, but didn't think I'd have to kill him. Too bad. See ya later, shitty heathen lover. Well, no, I won't. You'll be burnin' in hell.

"Don't know what yours makes you immune to… But to make sure you _stay _dead…"

The world went dark after silver flashed before his eyes.

*Scene*

Akeno screamed. Her soul screamed. Every fiber of her being screamed at the sight before her.

The Exorcist had withdrawn his transfigured arms of steel out of Asia. The girl dropped to the floor like a rock and began to bleed profusely. His next move had been in an instant. Kylar had tried to move, she had seen his body twitch to defend himself, but it hadn't been quick enough.

The Exorcist turned his sword-arm into a bladed hand, to which he _swiped _it not across his face but _through _his skull. Pieces— _pieces!— _of Kylar's head splattered everywhere.

She didn't know how long she screamed for. The world had gone dark as her mind replayed the horror over and over again, never truly understanding what had happened and never fully accepting it. She didn't know how much time passed. Eventually she _had _to accept what had happened occurred in reality. This was real. This was _really _happening.

Kylar, her invincible hero, was _dead._

The Fallen and the Exorcist were arguing back and forth by the time she snapped out of it. They were arguing about the condition of Asia's body. The girl was bleeding out but was trying to inch herself closer to Kylar's corpse. Her eyes were shedding heavy tears as her Twilight Healing was activated. The wounds on her were slowly closing only due to their radiance, keeping her in a perpetual state of bleeding and healing. Her only desire was to heal Kylar.

Akeno looked down. She did not know when it had happened. Her body must have moved on its own.

Kylar's corpse was in her arms. His blood was staining her uniform. Smearing all over her skin as she held it close to her. Asia was trying to draw nearer to fix what couldn't be repaired.

Blind rage consumed Akeno. Her vision was nothing but red and black as her demonic energy spiked. Lightning surged from her pressure, tearing apart her surroundings in its wake. She glared in vengeance upon Raynare for wreaking such childish havoc in his peaceful life. Towards the Exorcist who had taken the final blow of her beloved. But most of all, to Asia.

If Asia hadn't been there, he wouldn't have had such a _burden. _Kylar would still be alive and would have annihilated them both. Instead, he had tried to protect her. She prevented him from doing so.

A hand on her shoulder made her stop from wasting every last of her reserves to obliterate the territory. She would have destroyed the house, and possibly the block, and possibly end her own life, but that hand suppressed her power. It _made _her stop with its authority.

She did not know when they arrived. Rias, her King, had appeared with Kiba, her Knight, and Koneko, her Rook. They surrounded Akeno and formed a protective wall while Rias knelt at her side. Her azure eyes looked upon the opposing side in a tyrannical glare, ready and willing to strike them down.

"Mmm~" moaned the Exorcist as he licked his lips. "Those eyes. The look of wanting to kill me is so strong I can't help but be at half-mast. Can I kill you next, filthy Devil-chan?"

"Freed, that's enough," Raynare sniffed in arrogant disdain. She looked at Rias with the same displeasure as she had when standing at the front gates of the Academy. "Well? What do you want?"

"You attacked my Queen," Rias hissed. "I'm here to defend her as well as make you answer to _me. _I've been _tolerable _of your actions so far, Fallen Angel-san, but you've gone too far."

"Hmph," Raynare gave a mocking snicker. "Please. I've done nothing to go against the treaty. My business was with _that._"

She pointed at Kylar's body. Akeno squeezed it harder as she gritted her teeth. Rias' grip on her shoulder tightened at the feeling of her demonic energy going out of control again.

Raynare continued, "Your servant got in my way. Besides, the magus was keeping something that belonged to us. We had every justification to attack him. Or do you want to say we're the ones in the wrong? I'm sure the Grigori would love to listen to your complaints."

Rias' face did not change. She continued to glare in barely repressed aggression. "…What business did you have with Hyoudou-san?"

"That's none of your business now, isn't it?" retorted the Fallen with a sneer. "We've abided by the rules. No innocents were drawn into the crossfire. Nothing from the outside was alerted to our presence. The world keeps on spinning. Now, are you going to keep arguing or can we get what we came for and be on our way?"

"Rias, you _can't,_" argued Akeno through nothing but anger.

"…I apologize for the actions of my Queen," Rias said through forced politeness. No one in either party would believe it, but to hear those words was a victory of itself. "However, I expect you to take responsibilities for any… extreme grievances you've enacted tonight."

"Rias!" Akeno squealed in betrayal.

"Akeno, that's enough!" her King so commanded.

A victorious smile spread over Raynare's face. It would have been beautiful hadn't her lips been cracked with teeth missing. Nevertheless, she accepted Rias' words with pleasure. "Very well. We will provide for the repairs of the territory as well as the— hmph— _closed casket._"

Akeno's body shook in rage.

"Freed, get the girl and let's be on our way."

The Exorcist, Freed, groaned like a child. "Whaaaaaaa? Man. What a cockblock. Fine, fine. But, hey! Can I at least have some fun with her when we get back? I don't think my heart will heal unless I rape her~"

"…No," the Fallen refused with a level of disgust only a woman could have for another of their kind. It mattered not if they were two different species.

Asia tried to fight his grip, but she was far too weak from her wounds to do anything. It wouldn't matter; even at her best condition there wouldn't have been anything she could have done. Her wounds were mostly closed, though some blood still seeped through as Freed tossed her over his shoulder.

They began to exit through the back. Raynare looked over her shoulder once to stare at the Gremory group before leaving the territory. Freed followed after her, but not before blowing a kiss to Kylar's dead corpse and saying a prayer.

Akeno's shoulders shook harder as her frustrations was released. The target of her ire was gone but now she had another problem to deal with. She looked up at her master through eyes of heavy tears. She couldn't even see clearly.

"Rias. Please. Save him."

Rias had never seen her Queen like this. Not since the first day they met when she was still grieving over the death of her mother. Just like that day, Rias wanted to make all of her problems go away. Had it been a normal death, it could have been possible.

The Evil Pieces could resurrect the dead, yes, but only under certain conditions. The soul had to be lingering still within the physical realm with the body in able condition to operate. Most diseases and fatal wounds that had been their death would have gone away after resurrection. But there were just as many limitations. Curses or magic beyond the level of the King could not be undone. Some diseases would keep the body dead or would later kill them even after becoming a Devil.

Or, like in this case, the body was beyond repair. The boy's entire head was spread throughout the room in chunks. Simply gathering them together in one pile wouldn't have been enough. Painstakingly putting each piece back together like a puzzle would not have worked either. Even if they did, and they resurrected him, the damage was simply too great. He would not be the same _if _it worked. His brain and its membrane had been damaged.

Rias could not find the words to explain all of this to Akeno. She opened her mouth once but could not speak. Eventually, she had to look away. She could not grant the wish of her dearest friend.

Akeno lost her strength at that. She began to weep, clinging the body of her admiration close to her.

"You two…" Rias looked over to her Knight and Rook. "Go home. We need some time alone."

Kiba wanted to say something. From wanting to protect them in case the Fallen returned to wanting to comfort Akeno in her time of need. But Koneko tugged at his sleeve to get his attention and shook her head. He stared, searching for something in her amber eyes, and eventually nodded. He looked once more at Akeno, at the impenetrable and zealous Queen he respected just as much as his King, and wanted to say something before he left.

Koneko tugged on his sleeve again. Now wasn't the time for any words. Words at this time would do more harm than good. In the future she will need them, but not now. Those were the things a simple tug had told him.

He relented and obeyed his master's command. Their King had prepared a magic circle in the den, to which they entered and vanished into their respective apartments.

Rias let Akeno cry for some time. Not because Akeno needed this, but because Rias didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she should try to pry Akeno away from the cold body, to come to her side and hold her as well, or to maintain her distance and let the Queen release her emotions. Eventually she chose the latter. She busied herself with searching upstairs, finding a closet, and pulled a few sheets out. She took her time coming back down the stairs.

"Akeno," Rias called softly in a heartbroken voice. She put the sheet over the body, breaking the stare her Queen had locked on the gaping wound at the neck. Akeno blinked and then looked up at her master in… Rias wasn't sure what expression it was. Betrayal? Surprise? Self-loathing? It was a mixture of all of them and yet no words could describe it in clarity.

"…Let's clean you up. And then we'll take care of the body."

At first, Akeno clasped tighter to the corpse, unwilling to let go as if it would disappear the moment she released it. Rias put her hands on top of hers and gently made her let go. The body was eventually lain flat on the floor; Akeno could not look away from the blood on her hands. She could not stop shaking. Rias took her hands and pulled her up the stairs. She was going to use the facilities here; she had a feeling Akeno wouldn't be able to leave the house until the body was taken care of.

She managed to get Akeno undressed and into the shower. She slid down the wall and released a sigh of woe; she could hear her Queen's sobbing.

Rias scratched her brow. She truly didn't know what to do. Her peerage had seen death numerous times. But she hadn't. She had done her best throughout the years to nurture them back to sociable conditions; but she knew better than to believe the darkness, the taint, the corruption they had lived through hadn't twisted them. Akeno looked so… alive when her childhood sweetheart had been discovered. And now that light had been ripped from her once again.

Rias decided she should at least clean the body. Then they can decide what to do with it afterwards.

However, her heart froze as it shriveled up in her chest. She took the last step on the stairs, turned the corner, and planted her feet on the ground.

The body was gone.

A trail of blood lead out through the front door.

*Scene*

In this realm, within this Antechamber of the Mystery, he will always be _one _person. He was not Kylar Stern, Kylar Drake, Hyoudou Issei, or the countless others he had gone by throughout the ages. He was not even the Night Angel.

He was Azoth, the little boy who had broken free from the slums— the identity of the one he could never erase, no matter how many, how immaculate, or how detailed the mask he wore covered it.

The Antechamber of the Mystery was a special room, if it could be considered an existing place to begin with. It was pure white, a void of white spreading in every direction at an endless length. There were no walls, no ceiling, no floor, and yet Azoth knew it was a room. Flickers of strange beings circled around him, whispered incomprehensible things, secrets floated in the air, but no matter how hard he tried to focus on them they always vanished when his attention was drawn towards them.

He sat at the throne, one leg crossed with his chin resting against his knuckles and elbow propped against the rest. Behind him stood two doors. On the right was one made of wood, plain, unimpressive, and mundane in every sense. The one on the left was immaculate, perfection made real, ethereal given physical form, and forged out of a gold substance not found anywhere on the planet.

For a fragment of time— a second, a minute, an hour, it mattered not as time did not truly exist in this realm— the golden door distorted into one of black and fire before returning to its perfect visage.

One door led back to the real world. The other would lead to the afterlife and his Judgment.

There was once one who sat on this throne before him. No, to call it a throne was silly. It was but a decorative chair now. The real ruler of the Antechamber flew around in the white void.

The Wolf made its presence known. Azoth had laughed a number of times after the transformation as the ruler continued to desire to be called the Wolf. Others called him something else. But he was king, this was true. None could defy him as he had evolved from the Reaver, to the Dark Hunter, to the incarnation of the greatest force in nonexistence. After all, this Dimensional Gap which housed the Antechamber was his domain and none other can exist within its confines.

The people of this day refer to him as Great Red.

The _dragon_ flew at an immeasurable speed. It could have been instantaneously, it could have been at a calculable length, it could have been as slow as a crawl; it was always impossible to tell inside this lawless domain. Regardless, the enormous red beast flew through the white void as soon as he sensed the appearance of Azoth. It did not matter _when _it had appeared before him; time, once again, was immeasurable here.

The Wolf, the Great Red, the Apocalypse Dragon, gave something of a toothy grin. If a snarl with a feral growl that created worlds with its voice alone could be considered a _grin. _Without a doubt, this creature was the Wolf. That toothy grin and those golden eyes were all the proof he needed.

That, and he had been there on the day Ezra the Mad and Garoth Ursuul the Reaver had split in two. Ezra had transcended into a purely magical entity of dreams, this Great Red. And the Reaver had become an even greater killing machine; it had evolved into an incarnation of obliteration itself and sought to remove existence itself.

The One God feared it as Trihexa.

Azoth stared back at the Wolf. Words needn't be said. Countless times have they met like this. Azoth would die, he would return to the Antechamber of the Mystery, and he would be offered the choice to return to his body or to move on to the next life. In here, there would be no interference. No argument to be made. It would be entirely up to Azoth to decide for himself.

And always, he would return to the living. He would this time.

But before he would return, he needed to know.

"Who is it this time?" he asked of the Wolf.

Great Red shut its eyes and huffed in a sigh. It had been watching; it had _always _been watching. The transcendent being had known about his efforts to keep the magic of the Black Ka'Kari from choosing anyone. Even the Ka'Kari hadn't wanted to choose. But it was beyond their means, including its own. It was a power beyond comprehension, older than creation itself. And, maybe then, did it come from the nothingness of the Chaos which is why nothing could reject its power. Great Red could use his power to extend the curse, but at a great price and Azoth would need to pay for it. However, the curse can _never _be diverted. Prolonged, yes, but never removed or placed onto someone else.

The price would _always _be the one he cared about the most. He had been careful to remove as many attachments as possible. He had fabricated a mundane life in order to stay out of the supernatural. If he needn't have to fight, the chances he could live would be that much greater and therefore no one else would need to die in his place.

The Wolf did not speak. It did not need to. It no longer needed to for communication.

That girl, Asia Argento, will die next so Azoth could live.

It did not matter if Azoth chose to move on to the next world. Asia had been marked. Even if he remained dead, Asia would be right after him shortly.

Azoth released a heavy sigh. Countless times had this happened to him. Countless time had his heart been broken by his own mistakes. Someone, a girl he hardly knew but couldn't deny he had cared for, was going to die because of him. And for what? Because she resembled Elene? Because she had her smile, her compassion, the fire in her eyes for all that was righteous?

He could never forget. Elene had been claimed by the Black Ka'Kari just as countless others had been. Lovers, friends, families— _anyone _with a spark of companionship had been claimed by his so-called treasure.

He always asked himself if it was worth it. Letting those he loved die so he may live. Countless times he had asked himself this. Countless times he had grasped at the handle of the otherworld door and fully accepting he would decent into the darkest pits of the Underworld for his black soul.

But just as many, he always chose the wooden door.

For he was Azoth. And Azoth was he.

Without a word, he rose from the throne.

*Scene*

It was night when he took that breath of life. An inhale of rich and painful air after being suffocated. None could truly understand how it felt. Some had claimed to know what it was like but they had never been as dead as he. At death's doorstep, shaking the Reaper's hand, but never _dead _and then coming back.

His eyes fluttered open. His mind flashed at full alert. Sleep was gone in a blink. He went through a list in his head, trying to figure out where he was, his conditions, his health, and the last thing he remembered all in an instant. Less than a second, humorously at a speed of thought because it _was _a thought, the information was obtained.

He was in one of his safe houses, lying flat on one of the beds with a single sheet covering him up to his chest. He kicked his feet over, stood, and went straight for the mirror above the sink.

His persona of Hyoudou Issei was gone. The Ka'Kari had reset his body back into its original form. He had his ruffled black hair, fair skin, and icy blue eyes. His facial features were also completely different. While Issei was moderate in his looks— average at best, uninteresting in every sense as he was supposed to be— _Kylar _was much better looking.

He let a smile seep through. He thought he was good looking. It couldn't get any more vain than that.

He splashed water on his face and let it air dry. An old clock working on cogs hung on the wall on the distance. Kylar always made sure it was maintained to the most accurate millisecond— yet another perfectionist trait he had inherited from Durzo. This clock, however, displayed not just the time but the date as well.

He had been dead for twenty hours. The sun should be setting at this hour.

He needed to move quickly.

His gear had been meticulously prepared in advance, as it had always been. He quickly changed into the wetboy grays and blacks. Tights, leather bindings, light armor, and a cloak with a hood. His boots were made of a synthetic leather and tree sap that was nearly silent on every surface he stepped on. He wove strings of cotton through the flutes of daggers and tucked them in sheaths full of poison, placed several throwing daggers and darts in special holsters around his body in easily accessible locations, strapped a pistol at each hip, a sewn-off shotgun within his cloak, a short blade to his back, two cords of wire string, smoke pellets, flash bangs, and finally the two swords he would carry out no matter what job he took.

The first was a large silver blade almost as long as he was. It was a broadsword he _needed _Talent to lift and swing nimbly. The second was a much smaller blade— a straight sword sealed _entirely _in a lead case. Not even its hilt was exposed.

The first he had known as Retribution, the blade of his master Durzo Blint. But Durzo, the previous wielder of the Black Ka'Kari, had known it under a different name. It was the Staff of Law, Iures, capable of remembering, replicating, and sharpening any spell it is exposed to.

The second was a blade Kylar had a rough history with. After all, he had tossed it into Ezra's Wood just so the madman could regenerate his arm. It was known as the Sunderer, the Sword of Power, Curoch. It was _the _magic sword, a weapon of limitless power as it could destroy anything and grant anyone at the level of Archmage and higher enough Talent to wipe out the surface of the planet a hundred times over. It was the only weapon other than the True Longinus that could kill Kylar _permanently. _It was the only weapon the Ka'Kari could not devour— let alone _touch._

It had taken him centuries to grow his Talent high enough to wield the blade. It had taken him centuries after that for it to accept him as its master.

Being an immortal has its merits.

He strapped Iures to his back while placing Curoch at his hip. He was ready to move out. And he was about to until something else caught his eye.

There was a plate of food with plastic wrap covering it on one of the tables outside the weapon's room. There was also a small note folded neatly to the side.

Kylar read it, looked down at the plate of food, and then read the note over once more.

He will have to give Officer Takahashi a raise. He was too considerate for his own good. After all, one could not storm a small fortress on an empty stomach.

There was more than enough time for a quick bite.

*Scene*

"We are ready to infiltrate, Master Diodora," said his Bishop.

"Finally, I can end this little farce," Diodora Astaroth pressed his fingers against the lining of his suit, creasing out any imperfections within the fabrics. "This one has been trouble. But she is more than worth it."

Diodora and his peerage were gathered at the bottom of the hill hidden in the trees. Once they crossed through the bounded field the Fallen had erected there was going to be hell upon them. But he had been prepared, most prepared indeed. His peerage was stacked to the brim with anti-Fallen weaponry Shalba had provided him with. Not that he needed them to begin with. A small flock of low-ranking birds like them wouldn't stand a chance against him. He could storm their base and wipe out all of them on his own, but heroics needed to be delivered with a flourish. He needed to showcase his deeds, enter the domain immaculately, and rescue the nun girl as a Prince Charming. He couldn't dazzle her if he was soaked in the blood of his enemies and wounded himself.

The sun was setting with the orange orb hidden beyond the horizon. Night would be upon them in less than an hour and their full powers will be awakened. Under the cover of darkness, Devils were at their peak and could triumph easily over a few crows who lost their Grace. The small brigade of Exorcists the birds had recruited were of little consequence; his peerage could handle them on their own.

He did find it extraordinarily annoying to have to go to such measures to acquire this piece, Asia Argento. He had gone so far as to scar his perfect body for her sake, having her heal him, and thus having her excommunicated from the Church. He had been waiting for her and would have given her a place to reside with open arms— to ravish her, to make her scream, to drown her in pain and pleasure until her mind shattered and all she would want was his cock.

But then, that bastard Kokabiel had arrived. The Star of God made Diodora flee with his presence alone; he knew he couldn't stand up against a ten-winged Fallen, especially one who had been one of the Guardians of the Gates. But Diodora would not give up, never! He kept his ear to the ground and waited until Kokabiel had left the girl to her own devices. Unfortunately, by the time Diodora deemed it safe to move towards her again, she had relocated to this dreadful land.

Worse, she had been dazzled by a human boy. He could not play out the rest of his script if she was infatuated with this boy. So, Diodora researched him— in what he had expected to take weeks had taken him less than an hour. The boy had one hell of a reputation; and dare he say Diodora grew nervous the maiden would lose her purity to this heathen. He had to act quickly before things went too far.

He leaked information to the sides of the Fallen. One thing led to another and, well, the boy's corpse is now headless. Asia was taken captive by the Fallen, and now Diodora could finish his plan. He had even written a new script. He was going to use the boy's death to consul Asia, whisper her soft nothings to heal her broken heart, have her see him as her savior and perhaps as a new lover. And at the moment she would start to love Diodora…

…He will rape her. The look on her face and the symphonic pitch of her screams at that moment would make all of this nonsense worth it.

**Ah. It was you.**

Something whispered right into his ear— a voice that did not belong to any of his peerage. He spun, conjuring a blade of darkness with his magic to strike down who had invaded his space. There was nothing. Nothing had been at his side. His peerage had jumped in alarm at the suddenness and drew their weapons. But after a moment of silence, of using spells to sonar their surroundings, there had been nothing.

He must have imagined the voice. Strange. He had no reason to be imagining such things; he was quite healthy of mind, if not a little perverse in his _hobbies. _But, he was a Devil. He was the incarnation of Lust itself—

_**Rapist.**_

__A coldness washed over him. It was not from the weather, not from some foreign magic, and not from some significant presence such as when he nearly ran into Kokabiel. It had come from himself. A guilt? No, he was guilty of nothing. He did not regret anything. And yet… he could not help but recall every instant he captured the heart of each member of his peerage, ravaged them, bent their hearts, souls, and minds, and made them his eternal slaves of the flesh.

It bothered him. Why did it bother him? He had no reason to be bothered by this! _This _was his right! He was a _King_! He was free to choose whom shall be inducted into his peerage and his right to do with them however he pleased.

Why was he questioning himself over this?

Diodora shook his head.

Why was he questioning this at all?

"…Master Diorora?" One of his Pawns asked out of concern.

"Quiet!" he snapped and brought his hand across her face. It was a moment of anger, a moment he had lost his charm. Diodora never lost his cool. So why a simple question he programmed into them had triggered this reaction? They were to only think of his wellbeing, of his happiness, of any way to please him. It was why they were going along with this mission without question to add another girl into his ranks.

_**Liar!**_

"Who's there?!" he shouted. The voice hadn't been imagined. It wasn't even a voice to begin with but an invasion of his mind. It traveled through the wind and had whispered directly into his ear. Some acoustic spell as far as he could tell.

His peerage were at the ready again. They knew not what he was shouting at— nor did he— but they stood on guard and surrounded him. Protecting him was their priority. Even if it meant at the cost of their lives.

Why? Why, why, why?! _Why _was he having these thoughts?! Why was this accusation making him feel such pitiable regret? _What _was there to regret?! That he never looked at any of the girls as people?

Don't be silly. They were all _human. _Disgusting lowlife breed who resembled Devil-kind. Their only purpose is to be used as resources. Devils extracted them for their sins— he was doing nothing different as he had a zestpool of their Lust to drink in.

Then why did he take the time to always know them? To learn how to sway their hearts? Why be infatuated with them to begin with? If they truly were such lowlife human beings then surely he could have just taken them by force. Why seduce them, betray them, and reave in their heartbreak instead of simply drinking in the pleasure of the flesh? There was more in there he craved from them.

Ridiculous! There was _nothing_! They will always be _nothing_!

**I judge you. I judge you, Diodora Astaroth!**

Ice filled his veins as he stared into the eyes of a beast the likes he knew not where from. Such beasts were found in the Underworld humanity had shared to scare their children. But not this one. This one was a beast even he, a Devil, a being humanity was terrified of, had found to cower before.

Eyes of blue flames stared back. Not into his eyes, however. They stared into his very soul. A Devil does not carry such a thing. And yet, Diodora could feel this creature look into his core, the depth that made him _him. _It was reading his everything, judging, and not liking what it was seeing. Every wrong Diodora had ever done was being read. Things he refused to believe were not wrong were being exposed to this creature.

This was not why he had squealed in freight. As humanity told the stories of Devils to frighten their children, the Devils had told their children an even more frightening tale. He recalled a time when he was afraid, had nightmares when so young, but scoffed when such a fantasy couldn't have possibly been true.

But true it was. And he was staring into the eyes of the beast all his kind feared above all else.

The eyes of the Night Angel was judging him.

And it looked through the Face of Justice.

*Scene*

Kylar had used the invisibility of the Black Ka'Kari for only a split second to travel through the first layer of the barrier around the Fallen territory. The anti-magic properties of the ancient treasure had allowed him to slip through the wall of magic undetected. But eventually someone would notice his presence. He thought about coating himself in the Black Ka'Kari for the entire operation, but then the little shit would eat at his clothes, his armor, and his weapons. It was called the Devourer for a reason.

Plus, he really hated how it _always _devoured what material he had around his crotch. By this point he knew it was doing it on purpose.

There was no way to be stealthy for this operation. There was no strategic point of entry. The windows were stain-glass and there was only one main door. The bell tower had long been collapsed and so trying to infiltrate through that way was out of the question.

Still, he made sure to be as stealthy as possible. As he made it to the church entrance, he pulled out a throwing knife and leaned against one of the doors. He slowly opened the other one, in a painfully slow process so none would notice it creak open let alone _hear _it. Putting the flat of the blade at the edge, he used its surface as a mirror to peer inside.

There were three people. One sitting on a broken pew with her back towards him, another sitting upon a windowsill with her legs swaying and head turned away to converse with the third, and the third was a man standing by the altar with his arms crossed and a quarter ways turned towards him. They were all Fallen.

He studied them close, using the benefits of the Ka'Kari to enhance his eyesight with some Talent for his hearing. At the same time, he pushed the door open more and more. Slowly, slower than a crawl, slower than a snail's pace. The door made no noise even from its rusty hinges. None of the Fallen noticed the difference as it opened an inch, two inches, three, four…

Twenty minutes it took him to open the door just to squeeze through. He called upon his Talent to enwrap himself in the shadows. He was not invisible like whenever the Ka'Kari enveloped him; he was merely one with the shadows through an illusion charm. But his movements were precise, elegant, swift, and silent. He did not gather their attention even as he slithered inside, slid under a pew, hid behind a pillar, crawled towards another pew, crawled under the third pew…

He sharpened his throwing knife with a weave. He waited under the darkness, keeping an eye on the three of them. The little girl had moved away from boredom towards the bottom step of the altar stairs. The man shifted in his stance but remained where he had been. And the women he was currently squatting behind relaxed her posture further by throwing her arms across the edge of her seat. They all continued their idle chatter of their boredom for guard duty, of how they didn't expect anyone to interfere, and questioning another as to why the Fallen Angel Kokabiel wanted Twilight Healing so much.

"Hey, Mittelt!" The man barked in a gruff voice. His eyes turned towards the door. "You were the last one to get in here! Go close the door right!"

The girl, Mitellt, looked scoffed and challenged the man with a look. Her sarcastic gaze went towards the door, making sure to show her annoyance with the rolling of the eyes, and then blinked when she saw the door was indeed wide open. "I _did. _Damn place's been falling to shit before we even got here. Whatever, Dohnaseek. Just hold on…"

She hopped down the single step she stood on, playing the part of the child her figure masqueraded. But her eyes spoke of an ancient maturity the likes no mortal could obtain. Though her expression was annoyed, it was nothing but a mask she had used in a persona. Still…

She passed Kylar. She did not even look his way. Her great age had made her arrogant.

When the little girl was at the door, furthest from Kylar, and so all three were furthest from supporting each other, Kylar acted.

He brought his hand around the mature woman's mouth, quickly and forcefully, and pulled her head back. The action surprised her and left a moment of shock for her mind to lag in its reaction. Natural defenses kicked in as her body began to rise to pry herself away from his grip.

But it was too late. He brought the knife around with his other hand and spliced open her neck. Her lifeblood gushed out, her hands shot up to clasp around a wound she could do nothing about, and she fell forward onto her knees. In a second, her body collapsed into the pool of her own blood, twitched once, and then remained lifeless.

"Shit! He just killed Kalawarner— oh crap!" cursed the little girl Fallen Angel.

He dashed towards the man, Dohnaseek, next; a set of magically enhanced daggers in each hand. His body was low as his Talent propelled him forward.

The Fallen conjured a spear of light and threw it at him. It did nothing— the light shattered into dust and had then been absorbed into his body. Dohnaseek's eyes widened; it was the last thing he did.

The two daggers plunged into him. He made sure the twist the blades to carve deeper wounds into his intestines. The Fallen Angel fell back from the force. He looked up at him in a myriad of emotions, but could not voice them as she was choking on her blood. He would be dead in a matter of seconds; even if the blood loss would not kill him, surely the poison will.

He wouldn't wait for that. He leapt back, landed on top of a pew, drew the short sword on his lower back, and moved quickly towards the last of the Fallen. This one he had saved the last since she was furthest from the core of the base. She wouldn't have had a chance to alert his companions if she chose to run. But Fallen were crafty as all of them had been a part of the Great War with centuries of battle experience to boast. This one would be no different as she would fight above mortal standards. Yet, it meant nothing to Kylar. Her death was already formulated.

The Fallen did not fight back. She immediately fell to her rear, her eyes flashing wide with fear and recognition. Desperate to flee but lacking the mentality to do so, she crawled backwards until her back was against the other door. She could have simply spun around and ran out the open but she wasn't of right mind to do so.

Kylar leapt from pew to pew, more so running with long strides than jumping. It would only take him three seconds to cross the distance with his Talent and to stab her.

"Mercy! F-Face of Mercy! Please!"

Kylar stopped just as his sword was about to pierce her chest and rupture the heart.

His eyes narrowed. This girl, this Fallen, either was part of the Order or knew of it. She was asking for his Mercy.

Kylar read her— read all of the sins this girl had committed. They were many— there were _many_— but her heart was layered with guilt. She had spent the rest of her life after the Great War doing all she could to repent.

She was flinching, her arms crossed over her face, head turned away, and eyes shut tight as her body shivered with fright. As time drew out, she began to realize the dolorous stroke hadn't been delivered. Her heart continued to beat. She cracked an eye open, turned her head slowly, and lowered her arms slightly but kept them up in a guard.

They stared at another. She in disbelief, confusion, and hope. He in patience, waiting for her next words to decide her own fate.

"You… devoured the light. You are the Night Angel, aren't you?"

Kylar did not answer. He kept his blade's tip pressed against her chest. "Where is she?"

Mittelt's eyes flashed towards the altar. "T-There. There's a secret stairwell behind the altar, under the rug. Raynare and the remaining Exorcists are performing a ritual to extract a Sacred Gear from a sister. It will kill her."

The girl spoke believing the Night Angel will judge her for this. Judge her for being unable to oppose her superiors, to risk her everything to save the girl. Instead she chose to cower, to hide her head, and put a blind eye to the situation. But in her heart she hated every bit of it. To oppose them would mean death and she knew she wouldn't stand a chance against a group of Exorcists, let alone Raynare. Worse, _if _she managed to save her… there was Kokabiel to deal with afterwards.

The Night Angel did judge her. He brought his blade around in a flash of silver.

But he did not kill her. He brought the flat of it to Mittelt's temple. The girl was out cold. This was his mercy. She would be found and her superiors, if they would bother to investigate, would know she had tried to stop Kylar but had been rendered unconscious. But that's the thing when dealing with the Fallen: they were a fickle group who ruled with an iron fist. Either her superiors would be understanding and grant her mercy… or they were cruel and put her to the blade. Her chances to live after this were but a flip of the coin.

Kylar would leave it to Fate. Perhaps she wasn't being so bitchy today.

*Scene*

It wasn't difficult for him to find what he had been looking for. There was a labyrinth of tunnels and hallways within the bottom of the Church. It was a crypt used to bury the dead but had long been sealed after an overflow of corpses. He would have to look into the history of the land to see as to why there was such a need for such a labyrinth.

He simply followed the channel of magic leaking. It was a sliver, about as flimsy and thin as a ribbon, but visible through the eyes of the Ka'Kari. He followed the flow, taking his time while checking corners and his back for anyone doing patrols. The hallways were far too quiet and he had yet to run into anybody.

He came before two large doors made of solid stone and carvings of sigils. They weren't from any school of magic he had known about, nor were they from any religion. They were simply… equations, in a sense. Numbers and symbols drawn onto the doors in a formula. Its only purpose was to keep any impurities outside, such as corrupted energies or malevolent spirits. The influx of spiritual energy, of prayer so very much like the taint of Vir, was coming from behind these doors.

The door was sealed shut from the inside. But he had dealt with bigger, thicker, and more reinforced barricades before.

One fist pounded against the door, creating a spider web crack with a boom from the impact. A second combo from his other fist made a large dent in the door. Bringing both fists back this time, he planted his front foot forward and thrust his fists together. The door was blown away as if an explosion had shattered it.

Magic of the Faith swept through him like a wave. He walked passed it, ignoring its potency that would render a mortal mad or a Devil significantly weaker. The Black Ka'Kari drank it in as he took a few steps forward. All eyes within the room were upon him as he made steady steps down the stairs. Their eyes widened as they saw his body begin to glow in a nexus of color, a veil of pure magic originating from their works coated every inch of his being.

He grimaced. This was a ritual chamber— a room carved out of stone to keep magic from escaping and to keep interference at bay. It was large, spacious enough to fit a good legion.

…Such as the legion of Exorcists who had been chanting hymns until he broke open the door.

Those at the front looked at another, pondering what they should do. Those in the back, closest to Kylar, turned towards him and drew their weapons. Kylar paid them no mind.

His eyes was locked at the head of the chamber. Stationed at an elevated altar was a large cross. Asia Argento hung from it with chains binding her in place. Her body glowed in an eerie unnatural light with most of it being focused at her chest. She was wreathing in pain, shedding tears and tossing around against her binds to break free. She would fail, of course.

Hovering above the ground with her wings exposed with one hand to her chest and body turned towards him in mild surprise was the Fallen Angel Raynare. "…Who the hell?"

Kylar continued to watch, not doing anything further. His head turned here and there to keep tabs on the Exorcists slowly approaching him. They were hesitant as his body was _breathing _in the magic of their faith like an immaculate divine being. But while they took their time to decide how to approach him, Iures strapped to his back was reading and recording the mechanics of their spell. It would memorize it, define it, and could be accessed in an instant if Kylar could produce the same amount of Talent equivalent to the magic the Exorcists were producing.

He could.

Raynare had watched long enough. "If you're here to save her, you're too late. The ritual is already complete!"

He knew. He knew there was nothing he could do to prevent her death. Prolong it, possibly, by arriving sooner. He could have ignored that Devil outside, drained every ounce of his Talent to powerhouse his way through here, and maybe forced the ritual to stop with Curoch. But it wouldn't save Asia. If this ritual didn't kill her, surely something else would. Such was the curse of one marked by the Black Ka'Kari.

Asia screamed once more, louder and higher and pitch as the ritual reached its escalation. The light coming from her increased, flared, and then died. Asia slumped forward, her eyes glazed as her body shivered from fatigue. Something warm glowed within Raynare's hand. A green light he had seen just enough to recognize it. The twin rings of Asia's Twilight Healing Sacred Gear was now in her hands. Raynare brought them close to her heart, embraced them lovingly, and they merged in with her flesh.

The rings appeared on her fingers momentarily.

She began to laugh. "It's mine! Finally it's mine! At last, I can become a—"

**I judge you.**

Raynare stopped smiling. Kylar had waited long enough. His Talent surged through his body, enforcing the light of the magic circling around him, making his body glow like a living sun. But his eyes glowed in a different manner, piercing, cold, and like an _inverse _sun.

He took a single step down. All in the room backed away as they felt his presence. His eyes read them, peered into their souls, and saw them for who they were. No one was immune to his gaze no matter if they averted their eyes or not. Their sins were his to see. And he judged them.

**I judge all of you!**

He put a hand on the lead sheath. Two flicks and the buckles and gears were undone. The sword was not even exposed, but barely a crack in its seal no thicker than a hair, and magic far more potent than anything they could produce leaked out. It began to warp the air, making it dense.

Another flick, the lid came off and exposed the hilt. Another wave of magic swept through them. Their weapons of light curved, bent, and bowed before it. It was not drawn and yet did it have such an influence over the magic of the room.

Kylar drew Curoch from its sheath. It was a blade of crystal, shining in a radiant of colors of the mortal spectrum and some no words could ever describe. Magic itself bowed before it as if Curoch was the rightful king. And perhaps it was. For Curoch was the Sword of Power, the Sunderer.

_**Murderer**_**!**

Exorcists fell back in fear, fell on their knees and begged for forgiveness, or simply stood frozen.

_**Liar! Betrayer! Traitor! Adulterer!**_

More Exorcists fell at the accusations. No, not accusations. They were truths. All of their sins were exposed to this being. They could not deny them. They could not hide them. They could not defend their selves. They were guilty of their sins.

_**Slaver! Molester! Rapist! Thief!**_

Wave after wave they fell. Some remained standing in defiance, though few. Those standing sweat, shook in fear, or accepted their fate. They knew there was nothing they could do to oppose this creature.

The Night Angel looked at all of them through the Face of Justice.

_**Sinner! Sinner! Sinner! Sinner! Sinner! SINNER!**_

**I JUDGE YOU ALL!**

Talent flowed through Curoch. The sword lit up.

An explosion of blue flames swept throughout the room, flowed through the chambers, out of the labyrinth, and could have reached as far as the outskirts of the church from above.

Screams filled the night as the Exorcists were being burned alive not in holy flames but from their selves. Their own magic of the faith was turned against them. What coursed through their veins became mystic fire used to purge them. As it had filled the room, it burned everyone until there was nothing left but hollow corpses and piles of ash.

The only ones immune to this was Kylar who so wielded Curoch, Asia who hadn't any magic energy active, and Raynare who hadn't used any of her own reserves else taint the ritual.

Kylar sheathed Curoch and sealed it. The room instantly became sterile as no magic remained. Even the glow of his body vanished. If magic was a fuel, Curoch was the lighter. Nothing mystical remained after its purge.

"…Mister Issei…" dazed and tired at the edge of death, Asia still shed tears for him. Three drops fell.

Raynare lowered herself to the ground. Her eyes were wide as her lips trembled. "W-What? No… I-Issei?! You… You're the Night Angel?! But… But I saw you die… You… You can't be him… No. You're _not _him! Who are you?!"

"You're not a bad person, Yuuma," Kylar spoke in the voice of Hyoudou Issei. It made her eyes widen further. He continued, using the same words he once said to her. "I don't want you involved in my mess. It's best we left things here."

He continued to approach, this time drawing a hand and releasing Iures. The silver blade shimmered in a faint light as it began to replicate the weaves of the ritual used tonight. Kylar fed his Talent into it, feeling the drain take its toll but never losing his stride.

He stepped over the bones and ash of the obliterated Exorcists. His eyes were dead, forever locked with Raynare's.

"You are neither clean, nor are you tainted," he continued, reading her sins like a book. It made her take several steps back. He began to climb the stairs, one step at a time, with casual ease. "I do not blame you for anything you've done tonight. It's my fault. I killed Asia tonight. But I cannot excuse you had planned this all along. I cannot judge you for your sins if you are… balanced.

"But I am the Night Angel. And I have come to you with the Face of Vengeance."

*Scene*

Rias sure as hell didn't expect anything like this when she gathered her peerage for the night. The body was stolen, Akeno was sure of it. She had begged for her King to retrieve the body from the Fallen, only for Rias to turn her down and think _reasonably. _But there was no point in arguing with her hectic Queen. She came to a compromise to go into the Fallen territory and _investigate. _Nothing more, nothing less. They had waited until the sun set and night came.

Two Fallen were dead at the service hall of the church. There were signs there had been a third… given some of the feathers littering the ground had a different energy signature than the dead two. But the third was nowhere in sight. Her peerage immediately went on edge and went further into the church. Perhaps there had been some sort of internal struggle. If so, then Rias would use this opportunity to kick them out of her city and use this as an excuse should the Grigori question her.

Akeno led the way, stating there was a heavy saturation of magic underground. She led them through winding hallways of the crypt.

Rias nearly had her arm pulled out of its socket by Koneko. The Rook was muttering incoherently, her eyes dilated, her body sweating, and continuing to pull Rias. She said something about danger ahead. Something _powerful _and far beyond their capabilities.

Then, a _wall _of blue flames washed over them.

Rias felt… nothing. No pain. No warmth. But the layer of blue wickers was surely of mystic origins. She could grasp it in her hands, could mold it like it was clay but would slip through as if it were made of smoke at the same time. It was an essence she had never seen or felt before.

Kiba was thrown off his feet, however. The sword strapped to his side shattered into motes of energy. He gripped his arm as a sizzling sound made his skin _bubble. _He roared in pain and clasped his hand over the wound.

As quickly as it came, the wall of energy vanished. It had taken the signatures of foreign magic along with it as if it had cleaned the area entirely. A deep fear swept through Rias. What if they had been using magic? Would this _thing _purged them as well? Kiba had sustained a horrific wound for simply having a manifestation of his Sacred Gear at his side. Surely if they had used even the slightest bit of magic… what would happen?

Koneko was squatting, her knees up to her chest and arms wrapped around herself entirely. She was shivering. "C-Chakra. No taint. No corruption. No evil. No good. Raw, pure, chakra! B-But… to have that much…"

Koneko, a Nekoshou, had a natural sensitivity to the life energy. Even if she had never practiced in her senjutsu and had abandoned her heritage, she was still aware of the existence of the energy. But to frighten her this badly…?

She had sensed the danger before it had shown itself. Whatever lay at the end of the hallway was a true monster. They should leave while they could.

Rias would have given the order… if Akeno hadn't gone ahead on her own.

*Scene*

Akeno ran forward. She did not know why. This power, it couldn't have belonged to _him. _It was so much, so thick, so dense, so rich in its purity it had to belong to a _god_! But within its purity she found it had to belong to him. All beings had a signature. But this thing? This was pure energy in its most base form.

It _lacked _a signature. It was simply chaos made real. A void. It was _him_!

She ran until she arrived at her destination, nearly tumbling over the wreckage and nearly missing the steps in her suddenness. She could have been leaping into her death but she _knew _this wouldn't be the case. The creature to have made such an explosion of raw magic was not her enemy.

Her eyes lit up. Her speculations were true.

He had a silver sword nearly as tall as he was in one hand, lifted so easily despite having a human body. It glowed in mystic energy the likes she had never felt before. It was warm, like the embrace of a loved one or kiss from the sun's first rays.

His other hand was lifted, extended towards the Fallen Angel collapsed on her knees. His hands were twirling as weaves of energy flowed through his fingertips. The Fallen Angel kept her hands over her heart— a faint light flickered between bright and dim beneath her hands.

"No! You can't do this! You can't take this away from me!" she cried out. The light flared; she jerked forward and clasped her hands tighter against her chest.

"Just like how you couldn't take it from her?" Kylar, Issei, the Night Angel, whomever, had ridiculed. "Yet you _did. _I am taking back what rightfully belongs to her!"

Like gripping invisible strings, his hand curled into a fist and _pulled._

Raynare screamed, not out of pain but out of defiance. The light in her chest grew. Her back arched against her will. Something shot out of her chest. Kylar caught it.

The Fallen Angel fell forward on her knees, gasping for air and sweating profusely. Her arms shook in a struggle to keep herself upright.

He moved away from her and walked towards the large cross hanging at the top of the altar. The nun, Asia Argento, had her head bowed as the light in her eyes was fading away. But she continued to look at him through heartbroken eyes.

With a single stroke of his silver sword, the chains shattered and Asia was released. He caught her gracefully and lowered her to the ground. He knelt down, placed his sword down, and grabbed both her hands. Tenderly, he slipped a pair of rings onto the index fingers of each hand. For the last gesture, he kissed each hand and whispered something soft to her. Akeno could not hear what those words were.

"Giving those… back to her… won't save her!" Raynare spat as she began to get back to her feet. She was struggling. The furthest she got was up to her knees before falling back down to the floor.

"I know…" Kylar said in acceptance. In grief. In tiredness. He looked down once more at Asia and stroked a strand of hair out of her face. There was a gentleness in his eyes Akeno hadn't seen since his days as a servant for she and her mother. "I take full responsibility for my mistakes."

The ice returned in his eyes when next he stood. He moved around Asia, who tried to stop him in a weak voice, and took steady steps towards Raynare.

The Fallen stared back in defiance. She would not quiver in fear if she had before. She would not give him the satisfaction.

He would not kill her. He brought his foot around and kicked her across the jaw. Her body tumbled back, slamming hard against the unforgiving steps. She hadn't the strength to stop herself and so rolled uncontrollably until her body hit the bottom.

It was far from over.

Raynare gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. Kylar had jumped from the top and landed on her back. But there was more. Her punishment was not yet complete. He bent down…

…And gripped each wing by the root.

Akeno couldn't help but smile as she knew what was to happen next.

"WAIT!" The Fallen girl began to panic. She squirmed, finding new strength as desperation kicked in. She tried to throw him off, but his foothold was firm and continued to press her flat against the ground. She tried to claw at the ground as if there could be enough leverage for her to pull herself free from his grip. "NO! PLEASE! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! DON'T DO THIS!"

"M-Mister… Issei…" Asia gasped with as loud of a voice as she could. She had turned to her side with a weak hand barely lifted off the ground as if trying to reach him.

It was by this point Rias appeared. Kiba and Koneko came in her shadow; the Knight carrying Koneko as the Rook was still too frightened to move on her own. She had her hands wrapped around his neck and wouldn't dare to let go. They all saw what was transpiring.

"SOMEONE!" Raynare had seen them arrive. She screamed for them. "PLEASE HELP ME!"

Rias moved forward to stop it. Enemy or not, _no one _should suffer such a punishment. For any of their kind— Devil, Angel, or Fallen— to have their wings removed would render them… mortal. But Akeno grabbed her hand. The Queen will not allow her King to interfere against a force beyond her rule.

"Rias," Akeno spoke in a firm yet sickeningly sweet voice, "don't ruin the best part of the show."

The Gremory King would have retched her hand free and would have proceeded as planned… hadn't the next words of the punisher shake her core.

**I am the Night Angel.**

The only sound being made at this point was the shrieking of Raynare and her screams for forgiveness.

**I am Mercy. I am Justice. I am **_**Vengeance.**_

**I judge you, Raynare. You have wronged an innocent.**

**I judge you. I sentence you. You will crawl on this earth for the rest of your days!**

There were no words any of them could find to describe the horror they bore witness to. The gushing sounds of bone and muscle being _ripped _out of the flesh, or the abyssal screams of the victim who voiced her pain. Nothing. They could only watch as he tore her wings out of her back with blood and sinew spraying everywhere. His body was drenched in her blood, coating his cloak and splattering across his face.

He never looked away. His eyes continued to bear down at the wound he had inflicted on her, on the scar she will live with for the rest of her existence. Her kind will look at her in wonder, in fear, will talk about her, will shun her, and will forever be a story to be told throughout the ages.

Kylar looked away once Raynare had passed out from either the shock or the pain. It didn't matter. His head turned up the stairs to glance once more at Asia.

The blonde nun was staring back at him. Permanently. She had moved her body towards him, trying to crawl over the first step. Her right arm lay extended forward and rested against the next stair. She lay there, lifeless— her last attempt at life was to stop him.

He continued to stare at those lifeless eyes…

He did not wipe off the blood from his face as he bent over and picked up the body of Raynare. Carelessly, with no respect for her being, he threw her over his shoulder after tossing her wings to the far end of the chamber. He climbed the stairs, with the body of Raynare swaying and bouncing in his steps, and picked up Asia's body with her lifted under his arm as if she were luggage.

He stared once at the Gremory group; his eyes as lifeless as Asia's. There was no emotion in his gaze.

Before any of them could act, he simply vanished from both sight and trace. It was as if he never existed in the first place.

*Scene*

Rias couldn't sleep that night. How could she? She had just bore witness to the judgment and execution by the Night Angel. The Night Angel! A being she had thought was just some fairy tale!

Then again, Devils and Angels were considered fairy tales to the general public…

She sent everyone home after the incident. Rias sat at the small desk in her room as she wrote everything she witnessed in her notebook. Every small detail was recalled and recorded. She did this so when she drafted the report first thing in the morning she would know what would be needed to tell Grayfia. And Grayfia would then take this up with Rias' brother, the current Lucifer Sirzechs. The matter of the Night Angel being real and within her city was beyond her means of operation.

She recalled that magic-devouring flame… It had consumed the lives of all the Exorcists within the ritual chamber. Their bodies were rendered into hollow husks, burned alive from the inside. At the slightest touch would their shells collapse into… dust. Would her brother be able to do anything about that? Or would it devour his Power of Destruction before he could do anything?

She sat back in her seat; it was at the darkest hour by the time she finished her recordings. There were no lights on as she sat in the darkness, only a sliver of moonlight seeped through the curtains just enough for her to see through her Devil's vision.

The sound of a page turning could have been as loud as thunder.

She jumped up from her seat, spun, and called upon her Power of Destruction through her fingertips. There, sitting on the edge of her bed, was a man encased in pure black armor— no, his entire figure was made of a black metal. His face was covered by a volcanic glass, melded into a theatric frown. His eyes were… alive. They were made out of blue hellfire.

Rias lashed out more out of panic than anything. Orbs of red and black energy flew out like missiles at the intruder.

They did nothing.

The orbs of Destruction simply sank into his skin, absorbed as if they were nothing more than gentle rays of sunlight and not anti-material Devilry.

This creature paid it no mind. He closed the light novel, uncrossed his legs, and stood with a grace no earthbound being could replicate. He may as well have been a phantom with the way he glided across the room and placed the book back onto her shelf.

His head turned… and she could feel his eyes read everything about her.

**"I have another for you, Rias Gremory."**

His hand extended out towards her. She took a step back, not knowing what he was about to do. The shadows warped like a fabric around his fingers. With a pull, the darkness was wiped away.

The body of Asia Argento was revealed; she was lying on the floor in a clean white dress with her hands folded across her chest. Her face was tranquil… as if only sleeping.

"…What do you want from me?" she dared to ask.

The Night Angel's mask warped from Anger to Joy. **"What I have asked of you for each member of your… family."**

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Nothing changed. He did not shift in his stance. He continued to stare at her.

His words cycled through her head. Her eyes widened. "…No. You… You were the one responsible—"

**"For **_**saving **_**them, Gremory," **the Night Angel corrected her thoughts. He became smoke, dissolving into black mist before reappearing dangerously close to her. It made her step back further but she landed on her desk. He stepped closer. She could feel the heat of his breath as his mouth was nothing but tongues of blue flames. **"Your Rook I had… **_**reasoned**_** with diplomats of your kind to cease their hunts for her. Your Bishop I have threatened his kind into ignoring his existence. Your Knight I have escorted out of his prison on that winter purge. And your Queen I had delivered to your brother. Ask him, if you must."**

Rias blinked. Koneko was a Nekoshou, a rare breed of her kind who were natural born wielders of chakra. When her sister had become a Devil, she had gone mad with her power and had killed her King. The Devils feared her power and sought out to purge all of their kind. Koneko was probably one of the few left alive.

Gasper was a Damphir, a crossbreed between a vampire and a human. He was a daylight walker and one who had a powerful Sacred Gear which could stop time itself. His kind wanted him dead. When Gasper had been resurrected as her Bishop it was still within their rights to claim him as one of their own. But then the vampires suddenly backed off and agreed to leave him be if and only if they were to never see him again.

Kiba had been the victim of the Holy Sword Project— a nameless orphan taken into an institution run by the Church and subjugated for experimentation along with his peers. The experiment failed, the research was leaked, and all the evidence was to be removed. Kiba was the only one to survive from the purge.

And Akeno… her family had killed her mother as she was had bedded with a Fallen and bore her. The family of spiritual exorcists and shrine priests had tolerated her existence for a great deal of time. But then something suddenly changed and the family had tried to kill them both. Rias wasn't sure what. But one day Sirzechs came with Akeno and asked Rias to take care of her.

The Night Angel stepped back and gestured a shadowy hand towards Asia. **"This one is in need of your… charity. She is of pure heart, sinless— one who is born but every hundred years. She has been wronged and is in need of a second chance. My authority does not grant this. There is not much that can bring the dead back to life… but your Evil Pieces is sufficient.**

** "Grant her this chance, and I shall provide all that is necessary. And, one life for another, I shall answer your call. Whisper my name in the darkness and I will hear it. What is your answer, Gremory?"**

Rias didn't know what to say at first. "…And the Fallen? What about her?"

The Night Angel did not twitch. He remained as stalwart as before. **"She is mine. She will repent until her soul is cleansed."**

"Then I will make a deal with you," Rias found her charisma and dared to counter his offer. She stepped away and strode forward with the determination one required as a King. She will not bow to anyone even if her opposition was the Night Angel. "Deliver the Fallen onto me and I will resurrect this girl. You needn't have to do anything for me—"

**"You misunderstand something, Gremory," **the Night Angel's mask shifted back to one of Anger. His eyes glowed with his power thickening the air. **"This is **_**my **_**city. I have permitted you vacancy here because you and the Sitri Heiress are of pure heart. Do not alter my perceptions of you. Do not **_**question **_**my judgment. The Fallen is mine. Leave and never return to the surface world if you disagree with this."**

Rias grimaced. This was _his _city? So, that black entity wandering around the night had been the Night Angel all along. Things began to make sense. It wasn't some dark spirit feeding off of sin. It was he _purging _sinful creatures from criminals to Stray Devils.

"…Fine," she couldn't argue against this creature. It hurt her pride as a King, but there was nothing she could do. This was a being no force on this planet could defy as he was not aligned to any Faction. She turned towards her dresser, opened a wooden box, and pulled out a Bishop Piece. "I will resurrect Asia—"

When she turned around to tell him this, he was already gone.

…As well as her journal.

*Scene*

Akeno nearly skipped in her steps on this morning. Kylar was _alive_! She could barely sleep as she had been too excited for the next day like some little girl over a holiday. There were a few reasons why she had forced herself to sleep. The first was to appear before her beloved at her most beautiful— she couldn't see him if she had bags on her eyes and was drifting in thought from fatigue. And the second had been because she was _considerate. _She knew Kylar would be too busy dealing with the aftereffects of last night as well as recovering from his battles.

She did, however, wake up exceptionally early. She planned on slipping into his bed and warming his sheets while he slept. Maybe even do a little more while he was too tired to resist.

The thought, her mood, her smile, and her heart all combined dropped to the floor as soon as she stepped out of the magic circle and entered his living room. Or, at least, what had remained of it.

The floors and the walls were repaired. There was no sooth or gunpowder, no blood, and no debris from the close quarters brawl a few nights ago. Everything was spotless as if nothing had ever happened.

And all of the furniture was gone. Everything was gone. Not a single article of anything remained in the house. It might as well have been a model home the realists showed to new clients.

She didn't understand. Why was everything gone? No one should have known he was the Night Angel. She had kept quiet about his life and hadn't told a soul. Not even Rias knew. The Fallen had invaded his home and had called him a _magician. _They didn't know who he was.

"You know," a voice came from the hallway. "This is considered breaking and entering, young lady."

He was an officer, dressed in the fine-pressed uniforms and a cap. A middle-aged man with a hardened face who had aged gracefully. People his age would covet his good looks as he was decently dashing, at least to Akeno he had some sort of attraction but wasn't the best judge to the more _experienced. _It simply wasn't her cup of tea.

She put up a charming smile, "Oh, excuse me officer. I had a key from my boyfriend and—"

"I'm going to stop you right there," the officer put up his hand. "There's already too many holes in that story. Besides, I saw you teleport in here, Devil."

Her smile did not falter. It shifted to a more dangerous one with but a twitch to the edge of her cheeks. "Oh? Aren't you the officer constantly harassing Ise-kun? Might I ask what you're doing here?"

Officer Takahashi, if she recalled correctly, stepped out of the hallway but did not approach her. Instead, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Making sure we didn't miss anything. And, guessing by the fact you're here looking for him, it would seem he missed something of crucial importance."

She immediately recalled Kylar telling Asia they were loving on the night of the attack. He was prepared to go until the Fallen girl showed up. Akeno's heart sank further. "…He's gone?"

Takahashi gave only one nod. "The team packed up while you were all distracted over on the outskirts last night. You're not the first to come running looking for him. I doubt you'll be the last. You'll probably hear about it shortly. Hyoudou Issei will be moving over to the Americas with his parents. He will be attending school there, getting in trouble, and wind up missing."

"Where is he going? _Really _going?" she asked, almost demanded. Her hands were curled into fists as it was all she could do to suppress her frustrations.

"That's not mine to say," Takahashi shrugged. "Do you understand _why _he does this? Little girl, do you understand why he's leaving in the first place? Do you know what he is?"

She answered without hesitation, "He is the Night Angel."

If he had been surprised, Takahashi did not show it. He simply nodded. "He is _human. _The Night Angel must be for the Night Angel is the only one who can judge and execute all beings justly. He must always be among his kind, able to sympathize with them, able to walk in their shoes, able to live their lives and see the world through their eyes. The Night Angel must know what it means to love for he is death. And death must always be unbiased but never different.

"Some might say he stands above us all. But nothing could be further from the truth. He is bound to the earth and suffers _more _than any being ever could. He is constantly reminded of what it means to be the Night Angel. It is why he lives among humanity but distances himself. It is why he must watch from a distance but never interact. It is why he can love but never be loved back."

"…What are you saying?" Akeno could not understand. "I love him! Is it not good enough for him? Did he have to leave because of me?"

There was a weary look from Takahashi. "Yes, but not for the reasons you think. It is not my place to say why he had left but… I can say this. He kept you at a distance because he loved you. He tried to get rid of you because he was afraid. And since you would not leave no matter what he tried, he chose to flee instead before it was too late. Simply looked at what has happened to Asia Argento and you will understand."

"But I don't!" she roared. "That nun died because the Fallen got to them! Kylar had been… dead? Wounded? I don't know! They tore him to pieces because _she _got in his way! And now you're saying she died because of _him_?! If you're trying to say I would have been a burden to him, I'll have you know I can take care of myself."

"…I doubt that," he said in a humorless voice. "If I pull, you'll be dead."

She didn't understand. To show his threat, he flexed two fingers.

Akeno's body tensed as an invisible force bound her in place. Something constricted around her neck as her arms were locked in place. She tried to budge, but any movement made the bindings at her neck constrict further. The tiniest twitch made her gasp for air.

She could see a shimmer in the air. A faint light thinner than a hair. Strings of light had been wrapped around her legs, wrists, and neck. Each line led towards his hands.

He relaxed his two fingers. The pressure was gone; she couldn't help but rest her hands on her knees and gasp for air. But she never averted her eyes away from him. She tried to grab the wrappings still tugging around her, but her fingers simply phased through.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"There are six champions," he chose to say instead. "Michael, Azazel, Sirzechs, Yasaka, Cao Cao, and Tiamat. The six champions defend the realm of light. They protect the world and all its entirety from falling into chaos. But there is another champion— a seventh. This seventh protects in the shadows, bathes in the darkness, and protects the light from within the darkness.

"…They say he has three faces," he gave a small scoff, more a huff of air than a laugh. "He bears a thousand wings and his body is made entirely out of eyes and tongues."

She would have called it stupid if she hadn't heard of this before. The legend of the Night Angel was parallel to God's Angel of Death.

He continued, "The Night Angel is that seventh champion. He is Mercy, he is Justice, and he is Vengeance. But _we _are his eyes and his tongues. An eye to watch every being living on this planet. And a tongue to speak in every language. And we are this thousand wings to keep him lifted. This is what our Order was founded upon. _We are Legion for We are Many_ and all that silliness.

"But if you simply must know who I am…"

The sound of fluttering wings reached her before the sight of them did. Wings appeared at his back. Twelve of them. And all of them as dark as the night which drank in the light of the room.

"They once called me Azrael. I am neither a Fallen nor an Angel— I am simply… different. I am the seventh archangel who reaps the souls of all existence. I serve no one but the Night Angel, the only man I can look at as an equal in this lonely world. Not even God Himself do I answer to.

"But if it's all the same to you…" his wings sank back into his body as his magic repaired his ruined uniform to its pristine shape. "I'd like my identity to remain a secret. I'm happily married and satisfied working double shifts at the police station. I haven't been involved in the game against you Devils for almost fifty years and would prefer to not be again anytime soon. Consider this my request for telling you what you needed."

"…And that's all you're going to tell me?" she questioned. "I don't care about any of that. I know about the legend of the Night Angel! And I don't care about these… champions of _whatever. _I want to know where Kylar ran off to so I can give him a piece of my mind!"

Takahashi— Azrael— gave a weary sigh as he adjusted his cap. "That's not mine to give. I am sorry for this— I really am. I once had a lover who ran off on me, left me at the altar and everything. But I can only do so much for you. If you love him as much as he loves you, try to understand where he's coming from. There's a reason why he had to leave."

"To which you never iterated," she growled.

"So I didn't," he shrugged but then quickly flicked something her way with his thumb.

She snatched it out of the air and looked it over, but not before giving him a wary look. It was an earring. One made out of gold with some sort of white material interwoven within the metal. She could not tell if this substance was metal of crystal. Even an analysis spell could not define its properties. It was as if it did not exist in the periodic table at all.

"That's a set of two, by the way," he explained as he stood away from the wall and moved back towards the hall. "He has the other one. But they'll only work if you both put them on. Don't hold your breath waiting for him to put his on. As I've said before, he's had _many _running after him and only one has bonded with him. Hold on to it. I guarantee he will be coming back for that one. It means a lot to him. Don't take this the wrong way but… I'd suggest keeping it in your underwear if you don't want to put it on. Place it in some jewelry box and he'll steal it when you're not looking."

She didn't need to take his advice. Without hesitation, she placed it on her right ear. Magic surged through her mind but felt nothing more than a slight tingle. Nothing further happened. And, true to this words, she could already tell by its power there was nothing she could do to undo the binding. There was deep and potent magic in this small metal.

"Suit yourself," Takahashi shrugged once more before fixing his cap once more. "Oh. One last thing. If you want to tell him anything, simply say it aloud in a populated area. One of us will let him know. Just don't hope on him responding."

With that, he excused himself and left the empty house.

*Scene*

Days had gone by. Akeno was furthest from ecstatic to find out the nun had become Rias' newest Bishop. But she was a good Queen and welcomed her… as much as was politely possible and demanding from her position. She still wouldn't forgive the nun for getting Kylar hurt.

She did not dive into her work as a Devil as much as she used to. The fire had withered away. At first she went to her normal clients to blow off some steam, but when said steam went away she was rendered into a worn-out mess. She only took jobs that required her magical expertise. Rias had been disappointed at the loss of clients, but understood her Queen's feelings and said nothing against her choice.

Days became weeks.

Akeno had moved from being mad with Asia to… tolerable of her existence. She was still passive over the Bishop and instructed the girl over the new duties as a Devil. She couldn't even find any joy in watching Asia fumble with her jobs. That smile of hers and positive attitude was grating.

She found out she simply couldn't like Asia.

In time, Akeno had moved from frustrated with herself to accepting. She knew there were beings on this planet that were so unreal. The Night Angel had to be able to judge all of them. For example, if she were to fight against Sirzechs Akeno would lose faster than the speed of light. And Kylar had the responsibility of judging him should the current Lucifer astray from the… light.

She continued to say things aloud, messages to deliver to Kylar. Whether they were heard by this Order, Legion, _whatever, _was unknown. Most people just looked at her as if she was crazy but she played it off with a smile… and a sinister look that sent the bystanders running away. Her messages had been daily at first. Then every other day. And as the weeks rolled by, they eventually became weekly.

At this point, she no longer tried. A month had gone by and Kylar had never responded. There wasn't even a sign to say he had received her messages.

She once tried to get a hold of Takahashi, growing impatient despite the short amount of time. As it turned out, there never was an Officer Takahashi. Any and all records about the man were wiped from the servers with no officer being able to recall his existence.

Bloody Fallen and their damn clean-up magic. They _had _to be so thorough!

It wasn't until the second month ended did Akeno start to lose hope. He wasn't going to be coming back anytime soon. The Night Angel was an immortal being who could outlive Devils and their ridiculous timespan. If he wanted his earring back then he could wait for almost an eternity. With the way he pushed everyone away there was hardly a chance he would find anyone special to need it back. The odds of him putting on his pair were just as slim.

Her hope washed away one day when she took a detour on her way to school. She stopped by the Hyoudou residence, somewhat hoping he would be there. Instead, she saw a trucks parked in the front with a crew unloading boxes and furniture. A middle-aged man and women were busy directing them where to place each item— no doubt the couple who had bought the home.

That was it then. He really wasn't coming back anytime soon.

She joined Rias at the school gates, who had been waiting for her patiently. They talked to another, made teasing jokes, gossiped, and played the part as typical teenage girls like how they were supposed to be. Akeno had always been exceptionally well at pretending. Rather than seeing this as a loss, she chose instead to think of it as… things going back the way they were. The excitement of a lost love returning and then leaving was a romantic story. But that's all it was.

A story.

The fantasy had ended and she would return to her normal life. They needed to find a way to get Rias out of her engagement. Things were heating up between the Gremory and Phenex families as of recently. Apparently both families were growing impatient despite how they both agreed Rias would marry Raizer Phenex after she finished college.

Akeno sighed. What a drab life. She needed to kill someone to bring the excitement back.

The teacher entered the classroom moments after the two went to their respective seats. They stood, bowed, and sat back down. Their homeroom teacher than gestured for someone to enter the classroom.

Akeno couldn't believe it.

"This is our newest student," said the teacher as she began to write the newcomer's name on the board. "Go and introduce yourself."

"Hello everybody," greeted _Kylar fucking Drake. _"I am Garuwashi Lantano! I came all the way from Argentina. My mother lives there and my father is from Japan. I'll be here for the rest of the year so—"

Akeno stood. Her desk cracked from her sudden spike in demonic pressure. "_You!_"

Kylar, as well as everyone else, turned their heads towards her. But unlike everyone who was frozen in fright or shocked at her breaking her character, he simply gave a bored, almost expectant, _blink._

"…Me?" he said in a dry, almost sarcastic, tone.

She moved. Not caring how everyone was looking at her. Not caring or even remotely hearing what Rias was trying to say. Akeno was only seeing red as she stormed up the front of the classroom…

And delivered her meanest haymaker across his face. The collision was almost as loud as thunder as his body flew backwards until it crashed against the chalkboard. There was even a large crack from the impact.

She moved forward again, grabbed him by his shirt, and lifted him up from the floor. She even shook him. "What the _hell _are you doing here?! Do you have any idea what you put me through?! I thought you were gone! I thought you were never coming back! And you just waltz on in here as if nothing was wrong?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"A-Akeno!" Rias had her hands gripping her shoulder and tried to pull her away. "He can't hear you! He's…"

Akeno blinked. Kylar couldn't hear her because he was unconscious. His face was practically caved-in and he was bleeding in the back of his head. She _may _have put a little too much in her punch.

"Woops," she cackled with glee. Her smile returned. The fire had returned! Her sadistic nature was fed and Akeno was back at her peak. "Sorry, Buchou. Can you do me a favor and clean up this mess I've made? I promise to pay you back with extra work at club duties. I shall go see to… _Garuwashi-_san's wounds."

She didn't carry him. She dropped him like a rock but kept a grip on the collar of his uniform. With a little bit of a bounce in her steps, she began to drag him out of the hallway.

Rias, meanwhile, could only watch her Queen. Her mind hadn't caught up with reality just yet.

"Wait a minute…" one student said aloud. "_The _Garuwashi?! Isn't that the same guy who had like a hundred girlfriends?"

"It's gotta be!" another student said. "Yeah, yeah, I heard those rumors too! I mean, there's only one Garuwashi of Argentina. Seriously, what Japanese person lives there anyways?"

"I heard the guy knows the secret to seduce any girl," one of the female students said this time. "To think it was true. I mean, did you see the way Himejima-oneesama was looking at him?"

"He said his father was from Japan. Do you think he came here once and… No! W-With Himejima-oneesama?!"

"The Queen of Kuoh has been defiled?!"

Rias couldn't help but bring her palm to her face. Great. Just great. Yet _another _Issei. And to think she had nothing left to worry about now that the boy had moved to America. Now she had _this _delinquent to deal with. Except she wasn't sure if he was better or worse than Hyoudou Issei. Garuwashi Lantano had the inverse effect compared to Issei.

Wait. That wasn't important right now. Rias needed to wipe everyone's memory and repair the damages Akeno had wrought.

*Scene*

"Start explaining," Akeno crossed her arms and gave him a threatening look. "_Now._"

They sat together on the rooftops of the school. Kylar had faked his unconsciousness but did complain about being wounded so badly. Akeno refused to heal him and so he had to use his own Talent to do so. Healing magic of his style was… uncomfortable. The healer had to feel the pain of the healing process at a rapid pace equivalent to the degree of the wound and how long it would have taken to naturally recover.

"I would have if you had come to me discreetly," he sassed back. "Look, it takes time coming up with a new identity. Even longer when you have to deal with the cleanup of a previous one. Both need to be watched carefully during the creation process, reviewed, and then fill in holes before things advance too far. I had to come up with an entire _life _with documentations, people to bribe or memories to manipulate, pictures to fabricate, networks to—"

"I get that," she snapped. "What I don't understand is why put me through all of this only to come back so suddenly? Do you understand I was expecting to never see you again until I was on my deathbed? Some several _hundred _years away? If you had planned on coming back all along why didn't you just tell me?"

"That's because I _didn't _plan on coming back," he said and looked away from her. His eyes traced outwards over the horizon. "Azrael told me what he told you. I also know what he didn't tell you. I was prepared to leave; I had a completely different character ready. Technically, on record anyways, that person already exists and is the heir to a family house in China. But I didn't take it. I didn't relocate. I chose to stay because I thought of something.

"I'm tired, Akeno. More tired than you could possibly understand. I am so tired I am beyond feeling it. It's simply who I am now. I didn't come back here because I finally hit some wall and decided to say the hell with it all. No. I've hit that wall a few generations ago. It's why I came up with Issei's character to begin with."

"…To push people away," she said. "But why? Kylar, I think I have the right to know."

He sat there, leaning against the fence at his back. He didn't say anything as his eyes continued to stare forward.

"There is a price for everything," he said, using the words he had told her before. "I tried everything I could to make sure it wasn't so grievous. But I failed. I killed Asia and I was afraid I would kill you next."

"…That Fallen killed her," Akeno stated. "She told us everything. But I'm sure you already know this. Your 'eyes' are everywhere, apparently. I'm sure you also know she never told Rias your identity."

He looked once towards her. His eyes were not cold this time. They were… aged. The things they had seen and experienced could not be measured by her standards. "The price for my immortality is love. Those who I love are marked by what keeps me alive. When I die, those I love are chosen to die in my stead. I can come back from almost anything. But there exists nothing that can prevent their deaths.

"I killed Asia Argento because… she reminds me of someone. Someone special I can never forget as she shaped me into who I am to this day, no matter how many eons have passed. There's something you should know as well. Do you remember when I told you my teacher stabbed me when I was a servant for your family?"

She recalled. Her brows creased. "…Who did you love then, Kylar?"

She knew the answer. She just didn't want to believe it.

"She was… a dear friend," he would not share her name though they both knew who he was talking about. "I was there when she took care of your father when he was wounded. I was there when you were born. I had promised her to protect you always. I altered my body to appear younger, applied myself as an apprentice, and began to live with you and her.

"Your family did not kill her. _I _killed her. They were only going to send you both away. Things escalated. There was nothing I could do. The magic of my treasure is absolute. A fight had broken out… and you know the rest."

Tears had fallen down her face.

"…I don't hate you," she said. "I hate _him. _That man. If he had been there to protect her—"

"Something else would have killed either of you," he said through a harsh tone. "Another Fallen, some stray dog one day when you're playing, some incurable illness, a god-fucking _meteor _out of the sky— anything. The deaths… the world itself seems to enforce them. I've even seen some of the happiest of them take their own lives. Do not blame your father. _I _am responsible."

She wanted to grasp at the notion it was _that man's _fault. It was something she had kept burning in her heart all these years. She didn't want to let it go.

He knew she wouldn't listen further. He went back to his original subject, "I… came back to Kuoh… because I hit a second wall. I'm still terrified of dying one day, waking up the next, and knowing I am still walking on this planet because someone I loved took my place. But, did you know, I always have a choice? Whether to come back at all, I mean. Yet, even when I die, someone else will die along with me. I choose to come back because I can never wish this kind of life upon someone else. To think someone else will continue living because they killed their loved ones makes me sick. I've already fallen into madness and sanity in cycles countless times."

"You're diverting away from the topic, Kylar," she said. "What is that second wall you came to?"

He waved his hand. "I know, I know. Right. That second wall. It's actually the earring you're wearing."

Her hand immediately went towards the jewelry dangling by her right lobe. It had caused her a great deal of trouble by the morals committee. But her King had managed to make a deal with the Student Council to turn their heads away from it.

"It's acceptance," he elaborated. "I am the Night Angel. You know this and accept it. So many have tried to manipulate me, have tried to make me use my gifts for a 'greater' good, have tried to warp my way of thought to fit their morals or for their own gain. For both good and bad reasons. But… there have been few who have accepted me for who I am. You would be one of them."

"…And the others?"

"Dead," he said with a shallow shrug. His eyes expressed his tiredness further. "I'll give you one guess how."

Neither of them laughed.

He continued, slowly, unsure of himself, "Akeno, are you sure? You now know everything about me. You know if I stay there is a chance you will die because of me. I—"

"Do you really need to ask?" she scoffed, slightly offended. "Kylar, I had thought I was a burden to you. That I was some weakling who couldn't defend herself whom you had to protect. Now I see it's the other way around. My word, and Rias said _I _had problems."

This time, she gave a humorless snicker. "I am not afraid. And I'll have you know I _don't _know everything about you. Did you really think I would forget about what you said to me the other night? I want to know the real you. Not as Hyoudou Issei, or as this… Garuwashi Lantano. I want you, _Kylar Drake._

"I love you. I want you to love me back just as much."

She moved closer to him. Her hand placed over his in both comfort and to make sure he wouldn't run from her. He didn't. A slight blush coated her cheeks as she inched slower.

They were so close to another. Their eyes locked, gazing into another. Neither moved. She thought she was going to have to take the full advance and do all the work on her own. Inwardly, she sighed and accepted this. At least he was going to allow her this much.

Her heart fluttered when this wasn't the case. A soft moan escaped the back of her throat.

He closed the distance and kissed her.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This is a birthday gift to myself. But please enjoy.**

* * *

The old man was walking down the hallways of his lair. Dead and tiresome eyes stared directly ahead down the path he treaded at his leisurely pace. There was no need to rush when one such as he had all of eternity. There was also no point in delaying what he would eventually arrive at. Simply, there was no point in hastening or slowing his progress.

He had all of eternity to do the simplest of tasks. An eternity to achieve what thousands of generations have tried to reach. An eternity to slay the True Dragon and reclaim his home. He was a patient being due to this eternity; yet, at the same time, it was the crux of his boredom.

He had an eternity to slay the Great Red. This organization he had built with this goal in mind was but a tool for him to sharpen and use. They will never be able to slay the True Dragon like how they dreamed, but he could use the organization for this purpose and do it himself. They were but a knife for him to wield when the time was right.

When one had an infinity to exist… time was an irrelevant concept. He was born of nothing and will remain within nothing when the time came for the world to die and rot. And he will see the world become anew with the cycle repeating itself. He had seen it happen before and this generation made no difference. Civilizations came and went, new species were born and became extinct, gods flared like suns and then blinked out when their fuel was spent, and yet despite it all he still remained.

But, despite his patience, he was growing bored of it all. He longed to return to the Dimensional Gap and sleep forever in the nothingness of its territory. It will not happen so long as the Great Red continued to exist. He remembered when the Dragon of Dragons appeared, waged in a cataclysmic battle against him for dominance, and banished him from his silent home. He remembered falling down into the mortal planes, being forced to hide among the humans, and seek a way to not just return to his home but to usurp the Great Red.

Eons had passed since then. The thrill, if such a thing had been there in the beginning, had long vanished. Humans came and went. Gods, such silly _eternal _beings, came and went. Planets and wholesome worlds came and went. Still, he remained.

He was… alone. Such a concept that would have never crossed his mind when living in the Dimensional Gap. He learned of this after eons of watching the humans express their base needs. Humans needed other humans. For a survival of their species in the name of procreation as well as for their psyche in the name of communication. Even that boy, Adam, the first of his kind, needed someone other than the Creator to talk to. Humans need humans.

Just the same, Ophis realized he had longed for a similar bond. He did not know when it had started, or if it had always been there since his conception from the nothing, and had begun to ponder what sort of creature could be of idealness of him. The Great Red, while such a damnable creature for what it had done against him, was the closest thing he could compare himself to. While Ophis had come from the Infinity of Nothing, Great Red had come from the Illusion of Dreams.

The humans always compared the two of them together, but Ophis wasn't human and so couldn't see the comparison.

He stopped walking. Gray eyes looked towards the east.

A glint of excitement flashed; so miniscule it might not have existed at all. However, when it came to an emotionless being such as Ophis, even the smallest of reactions were equal to cosmic nova storms.

There, in the furthest east, was a power he had not felt recently. It had eluded his attention for a small number of centuries, not since the end of the Biblical Faction's Great War. Not since _he _had stopped it from destroying the surface world.

Ophis began to turn and fully face the east. To the onlooker they would see him inches away from the wall, just staring far into empty space. But he was extending his senses, seeking the origins of that power. It had been just a flash. As quick as it had come, it had been snuffed out. There was not a single trace of its signature no matter how great his senses searched. The divine tracing had been quick, but the originator of the flare had been just as swift. Ophis could only determine it had been as far as the eastern coast of China to the west coast of America. Such a large area to cover…

It was to be expected. The Night Angel was the only one who could elude _her _for this long.

The young lady, no longer an old man, turned on her heels and continued to walk towards her original destination. Long black hair flowed down to the small of her back as her robes and suit had been changed into a dress of black and white frills and ribbons. Though her face remained as emotionless as it always been throughout this eternity, there was something of a bounce with each step she took. Impossible to detect, but they were there.

"I, have found you," she said aloud in a voice befitting the incarnation to the concept of Nothing. However… there was something else within the void of her personality. Something that should not be. A warmth. No matter how twisted it may be. "My Azoth."

0-0-0

As soon as sleep started to lift, Akeno took a deep breath of air. The only thing she could pick up was her own scent and what detergent her lover had used for the sheets. Kylar could not produce a scent of his own. It was such a shame. It would have been an amusing fetish to train herself in. To steal his underwear, breathe in them while she touched herself, and have him stumble in and catch her in the act.

Well, she could do it anyways. The idea of getting caught was just as alluring as being intoxicated by his own stench.

Her biological clock was telling her it was a good half an hour before she would need to get up to prepare for the day. A small grin spread through her lips as she stretched her arms above her head. With her eyes still shut, she turned towards her side and reached for her lover.

Her arm met empty air and slapped flat onto the surface of the sheets.

She peeked one eye open. The brightness of the room stung but nowhere near as the sign of absence at her side. It was still too early in the morning and her dear lover hadn't been at her side. His spot was cold, indicating he had slipped out a long time ago.

She huffed and sat up. Not having sex was something she could tolerate. Kylar was a gentleman who wanted their affections to grow until they were ready to make love. She was more than ready— Kylar was just hesitant in opening his heart further. And she couldn't blame him, not one bit. He had spent who-knows how long avoiding such relations to the point where his previous identity had him shunned from any form of communication with others. He was paranoid when it came to his immortality. Having Akeno at his side threw a wrench in his gears.

But it still hurt when he would spend the least amount of time with her. Two weeks might not be much time, but there hadn't been any progress between the two. Akeno had opened up her everything towards him, but Kylar had hardly budged an inch. He let her stay in his house whenever she wanted, but that was always as far as it went. They snuggled, they kissed, but there was no intimacy between the two.

Whenever she asked him a question or tried to get to know him, he would be crafty with his responses and avoid giving a direct answer. It wasn't intentional, it was simply something he had programmed for himself. It was a defense mechanism he was having difficulty defusing.

"Good morning, love," Akeno said with all her heart when she climbed down the stairs.

Kylar had just come back after morning training. He never changed his routine. He ran six miles, performed various calisthenics, and went through a number of stances, poses, and fluent motions of battle. He always said he was getting rusty, but Akeno thought he just said that to make himself try harder. She watched him once go through motions with a boken and praised him— he _was _better than Kiba, that's for sure— but he always corrected her with critiques against himself.

He was standing in front of the counter, just staring directly at the coffee maker that was refusing to work. The lights were on but no matter how many times he pushed the button it would not start.

"Mornin'," he greeted with some tenderness; most of it was washed away with his irritation. Kylar was grouchy when he didn't have his morning coffee. "Looks like the damn thing's busted. Great. I'll have to buy another one after school or something. Sorry to ask but do you think you can make us some tea…"

He blinked when he turned his head to look at her. His tongue was tied as his lips pressed into a thin line. A faint tint of red started to make his cheeks glow and grew brighter the longer he stared.

The man may be older than dirt, have seen the most gruesome of sights and have committed them, but was always rendered a little boy whenever a nice pair of tits were for his eyeing pleasure.

And he had _how many _lovers before?

Akeno put her hand to her cheeks and gave a teasing smile… while at the same time trying her best to hide her own embarrassment and flushing cheeks. It didn't take much courage for her to strip down and come into the kitchen with nothing but the bed sheets _barely _covering her modesty. With the one hand going to her face, most of the fabrics fell. Her right breast and crotch were the only things covered. It was still a dazzling sight with just a small sliver of white fabric no more thick than a sash hiding her most precious areas.

"Kiri-kun~" she teased in a sultry voice. "If you keep staring at me like that I just might scream. Mmm… maybe I should? Then you'd have to rush to my side, cover my mouth, and force me down. What to do, what to do?"

She continued to call him by his former name. It was always somewhat difficult for her to call him Kylar fluently. Her Japanese accent always pronounced it 'Kyrar'. In private, she had called him 'Kyra-kun'. Eventually, after repeated use, and after having her tongue confused between the two, it just diverted itself to 'Kiri-kun'.

Kylar opened his mouth to say something, but he shut it when he knew this was going to be a battle he could not win. He would have retorted with something witty, she would have done the same, he would have said something else, and then she would have gone along with her threat and have _exactly _what she wanted from him. This had played out a number of time in their alone times.

His brows scrunched, his blush intensified, and he turned his head away. "So… that tea?"

She giggled in his cute behavior and her personal victory. She grabbed one end of the sheets, folded it, and tied it above her chest. Despite being double-layered, the sheets were still thin and could be seen through with the sunlight peeping through.

They both knew this. She could use this as a weapon. He pretended to not know and would occasionally glance when he thought she wasn't noticing. She was waiting for the perfect chance to catch him in the act and blackmail him with it.

"Of course, dear," Akeno said as she began to prepare the kennel for a morning brew. What she loved about Kylar's kitchen was the variety of herbs and spices. Kylar had a plethora of plants— most of which were medicines and poisons he used in his jobs. But there were more… conventional vegetation for his personal use. He could make a small fortune should he become an herbalist or open an apothecary and a large fortune with the plants he preserved that had long been extinct.

She, who considered herself a master at brewing tea, had an entire playhouse to herself with the variety Kylar had. It was funny; when she first began to make tea for him whenever he couldn't have coffee, she had very little to work with. And then all of a sudden his cupboards were filled to brim with jars of herbs, leaves, roots, and berries. She was in her personal heaven as she experimented with exotic blends.

It was a good thing she broke the coffee machine. And the three before it.

It was also a miracle Kylar didn't catch on. Or, maybe he did but wasn't going to say anything. Did he really think he needed an excuse to ask her to make some tea? She would have done so every morning if it would have made him happy.

"Don't forget about later tonight," Akeno said as she fanned the flame while the kennel was set above the stove.

Kylar scratched the peach fuzz on his cheek— he always needed to shave if he was going to pretend to be a teenage high schooler— while he poured some cereal into a bowl. He grumbled when he forgot to pull the milk out of the fridge, walked around the counter, and grumbled further when she took the chance to pinch his finely toned rear when he passed her. He looked accusingly at her and she tilted her head, feigning innocence.

Kylar was not a morning person. Especially when he had been running around late at night as the Night Angel. She wondered if he had even gone to bed at all.

"I haven't forgotten," he eventually answered her. "After school, right? Yeah, I'll be there. Besides, we're all in the same classroom so you're going to drag me no matter what I do."

"You could at least try to resist," she pouted. A longing sigh escaped her lips as she was swept away with disappointment. "At least for me? Won't you allow your girlfriend to break an arm or two? Or how about putting you in a chokehold until you pass out? Oh, please at least let me pop your fingernails out!"

Halfway walking back towards his seat at the counter, he stared long into her eyes. His stare told her he had grown tiresome of her attempts and was starting to get annoyed at these repeats. But not to the point where he would outright reject her. He never even told her to stop. It was who she was and he fully accepted her.

Akeno was a sadist. It didn't stop him from loving her. Even when half those requests came true no matter what he said.

Secretly, she had a recording of his blood-curdling scream from a few days ago. She always got off on it and used it on those nights she was sexually frustrated.

Kylar scratched the back of his head and ignored her. He went back to his seat, poured his milk, and began to eat his breakfast.

Such was another eventful morning in the Garuwashi household, formerly Hyoudou residence.

0-0-0

"H-Hello there, Lan-kun!" Asia Argento greeted him with a heartfelt smile. She was beaming as soon as he stepped inside the Occult Research Club. There was no doubt she had rushed to be the first one here to prepare for his arrival.

"Hello, Asia," he returned in Italian. Not that she would notice the difference. She was now a Devil— their Language ability allowed them to hear every language as their natural tongue. Every language was Italian to Asia. He only spoke it to practice and shake off the rust.

He tried to smile for her. But his heart was never in it. He didn't deserve her smile. He had wronged her just as much as Raynare had. Not only had he gotten her killed, but he had gone against her wishes and killed in cold blood right in front of her. She begged him, even placed herself in danger to get him to stop, but he never did. She had died trying to get him to stop— it had literally been her last effort before her life force bled out.

His greatest sin against her was having Rias Gremory revive her as a Devil. Asia loved her One God and the Church, no matter how much the former was a lie and the latter had betrayed her. Akeno had told him she continued to pray… or at least tried to. Akeno also laughed at each attempt, which would result with a sharp tinge of pain upon the poor girl for attempting. Kylar had robbed her of her rights as a human to pray to a God she never lost her faith in.

Despite all this, Asia had developed a small crush on him. Rias had told her the Night Angel had come to her and requested her to resurrect Asia. The shadows had hidden him, his Talent warping the shadows even more so for not even their Devil's sight could see clearly through it, and he had appeared in a guise none had seen before. He had appeared with the face he was born with, as Kylar Drake, and still Asia had recognized him on that dreadful night.

It hadn't been a mistake, nor had it been wise, when he decided to enroll back into Kuoh without reshaping his body. True, he made a false identity for himself (Lantano Garuwashi _must _be rolling in his grave), but Asia was no idiot. She easily pieced the puzzle together.

Asia worshiped him as her savior. She did not condemn him for her becoming a Devil. She _thanked _him one day in private and swore with all her heart to keep his identity a secret.

But at some point that worship quickly became idolization, and then a sweetheart's crush. He caught moments when she was staring at the way he behaved around Akeno— there were brief moments of longing that were one step away from being jealousy. And she blushed whenever he would talk to her or she to him. There were also other countless smaller signs, but he was more than old enough to know the difference between admiration and infatuation.

Asia was at the stepping stones of falling in love with him.

Shit.

Akeno also knew this. She was _not _happy one bit. She also didn't try to hide her displeasure for Asia.

He stepped around her, giving her only a nod to end what conversation she would have started before she could open her mouth. Asia had a small sigh as she pushed her fingertips together; a habit of hers she made when she felt insecure with herself, he had noticed. She did it in the short days she stayed with him and only when she needed to ask him something as though it were a great burden.

"Hello again, Kiba," Kylar switched back to a more fluent Japanese when he entered deeper into the clubroom to greet the blonde underclassman.

"Good evening, Garuwashi-sempai," he returned from his place on the couch. His legs were crossed with a notebook in his lap. He had been occupying what free time he could finishing his assignments for the next day. Even as he was looking at Kylar, his hand continued to scribble away. "Sorry I'm not more welcoming. This passage… I don't want to forget what I was going to write."

Kylar only nodded, doing his damn best to suppress his brow from twitching. He had half a mind to strike up a conversation with him, distract him, and make Kiba lose his train of thought. But that would be childish. And though Kylar _was _childish, the one thing he was not was childish.

_~…Do you even hear yourself?~_

"Hello, Toujou-san," he ignored the little black orb inside his head and addressed the youngest in the room.

Koneko blinked in surprise— she had been in a sort of trance as she was munching away at assorted chocolates and distinguishing their flavors at a professional level. Still munching away with chocolate smeared on her lips, and with a new piece between her fingers close to her mouth, she waved hello and went back to her most dire task.

It was not the first time he had been inside the Occult Research Club. A few times Akeno had dragged him here. The first was to introduce her new boyfriend to all her club mates and every other time was on days they didn't necessarily had anything to do. He helped them on occasion with their schoolwork, indulged in deep debates regarding the sophisticated extraterrestrial abduction, or just kept to himself while he kept Akeno company. He always thought he was intruding, would try to excuse himself, but then Akeno would pull him back to his spot on the couch. Rias even insisted he was more than welcome whenever he wanted.

They suspected he was _something _belonging to the moonlight world but couldn't determine what. They watched him closely to see if he was sensitive to any of the occult magic lingering within the room. He played along; he would look in a random direction and question whether something was truly there or was his imagination. Whenever they would activate a small flicker of their demonic energies, he would pretend to not notice. It completely through them off (Akeno would masterfully hold back her snickering).

He had known long ago what they really were, evaluated their strengths and weaknesses, had made note of everything mystical within the room, and always came up with a plan in the chance a brawl would break out. Not that it would. It had been entirely habitual for him to think of one; it's what made him the best at his job.

"Right, so," he began as he took his regular seat on one of the couches. "What was it you needed to talk to me about?"

0-0-0

Rias Gremory did not answer his question right away. She strolled to her desk and leaned against its edge rather than cycling around and sitting in her magnificent throne of a leather chair. She wanted to appear as friendly and welcoming as possible, especially for this evening.

She had accompanied Akeno and Lantano throughout the campus as soon as classes had concluded for the day. Normally on the occasions Lantano would escort Akeno to the clubroom, Rias would walk in their shadows and give them their space. Today, however, she wanted to be _especially _friendly.

She took his left side and wrapped her arms around his, making sure to be as close to him as possible. There was nothing sensual about it.

It had made him _very _uncomfortable, however. Despite all the rumors that had spread since he arrived as well as the reputation that haunted him all the way from Argentina, Garuwashi Lantano was _not _a lady's man. He was quite shy. Adorably so. He rarely expressed anything with Akeno and whenever he did it was through extreme hesitance and embarrassment. When she wrapped her arms around his, he squirmed and tried to run away.

Akeno saw his displeasure and increased the strength of her grip. She took it a step further and pressed her breasts against him. By this point Rias could feel his body shake. Still, he kept his head up high and focused only on the path before him.

"Well, Lantano-san, or can I call you Lan-kun?" she began.

"I'd prefer if you didn't…" he said with a heavy sigh. "It feels a little messed up towards the guy I'm named after. I can't get Asia and Akeno to stop because I don't have the heart to tell them otherwise."

"Oh?" she tilted her head with intrigue. "What sort of person was the original Lantano Garuwashi?"

"A Ceuran warlord who wielded _Ceur'caelestos, _the Blade of Heaven," his response was immediate and dry as though reciting something that had been told to him a thousand times. Perhaps it was. He was named after this individual after all and his family must have driven its legend into his core until the words were a part of him as much as his flesh. "He eventually became the king of all the Ceuran tribes because of some ancient legend of his people about how only the wielder of the Blade of Heaven can become king. He had it… so, boom, kingship."

"I've never heard of this legend," she tapped a finger on her chin and thought carefully. By the looks of her Pieces they too hadn't heard anything about it. It might have been a local legend from where he came from. It wouldn't do her any good for her to call him a liar and so decided to proceed with the plan.

"Well then, Lantano-san, what is your opinion on the Occult Research Club?"

"I think you guys just have too much time on your hands," he returned with another dry comment. A smile grew across his lips, "Seriously? Aliens and black magic? It's not too hard for anyone to figure out you guys don't even believe in this stuff. Or did you just create the club as an excuse to not have to join any of the others?"

A knowing smile crept to her face. She didn't hide it. She wouldn't tell him the truth behind the foundations of the club. At least, not yet.

"Something like that," she admitted with a small shrug. "As a third-year, you're going to have to eventually decide which club to join as well. I would like to offer you a place right here. While you may think we fool around, I assure you we take our duties in the Occult Research Club very seriously. I'll even give you a trial run and have you decide on a later date. There's no reason to rush these things."

"Lan-kun, will you join, please?" Asia, Lantano's greatest weakness, jumped exactly like how Rias had planned. The former priestess jumped up and down like an excited child. "It's so much fun here and I would love it if you could be with me— _us _from now on. It… it would make me so happy."

Checkmate. Rias did her best to keep her smile from growing. With Asia's smile and puppy eyes Lantano had no way of refusing the request. And after that, Rias can worm her way into his heart and gain his loyalties. She would love to have this Magician in her peerage.

She glanced towards Akeno, who was in the back of the room with her permanent smile spread. A psychic conversation was exchanged between the King and Queen. Victory was assured. Rias would eventually have another Piece for her peerage and Akeno could spend all eternity with her lover.

Lantano looked at Asia. He had mixed feelings that he could not hide. He had a soft spot for the girl— anyone could tell— but never took those emotions any further. If anything, he spoiled her like a big brother.

"See… the thing is…" Lantano gave a grimace. "I was thinking about joining the Student Council."

Rias' smile was frozen on her face. She felt her lips twitch and felt a tinge of pain on her cheeks as though her skin was made of porcelain and that twitch cracked its shell.

"…What," it was Akeno who said it.

"Well, I've been thinking about my future. It is my final year in high school and all; need to start thinking about college." He gave a dispassionate shrug. "I think it would be a lot more impressive if my credentials showed I was in the Student Council instead of… well, this."

He gave a leisurely wave of his hand around the room.

"If that's what you're worried about…" Rias regained her balance and tried another direction. "I can have my father write you a letter of recommendation. A letter from a respectable member of the Gremory family will guarantee you a place in any facility of your choosing. Of course, you'd have to get his attention and earn his respect first. I can help you with that."

Lantano did not respond immediately; he leaned back in his seat with his fingers tapping against his thigh. He was deep in thought. Kiba would have said something further to add fuel to his thoughts, but Rias shook her head in a sign to let him settle things on his own. Eventually, Lantano cupped his hands together and leaned forward on his seat.

"If I join…" he spread his hands to emphasis the word _if, _"what if I were to say I've no interest whatsoever in the affairs of the occult?"

"Well…" Rias spread the word out to hide her excitement. She had him. But she needed to choose her words carefully or lose him just as easily. "This is a recognized club and we do need to report activities to the school board. But, I assure you, you will be more than interested. Do the trial run, Lantano-kun. You haven't seen any of our real activities just yet."

A brow was raised at her words. She had his attention now if she didn't before.

A thin, if not amused, smile started to appear. "Let me rephrase. What if I have no interest in joining your peerage?"

Her smile vanished. The silence swept throughout the room. She glanced up at Akeno, who was looking just as confused as she was. Akeno hadn't told him anything about them being Devils, she was sure of that. Which meant…

"So you really are a Magician," Rias stated. Her smile returned. But along with its charm was a predatory hunger. While Magicians _could _sense magical energies, only those who graduated out of the magic academies and colleges could differentiate the signatures.

"Not really…" he said with some shame as he scratched his head. It wasn't out of bashfulness; he did not believe he was worthy of being called such a title. "I'm… Talented. Most of my, uh, _magic _involves physical augmentations. I know some healing techniques, but I'm no Healer."

…Had it all been real then? When they tried to evaluate his magical prowess he wasn't just hiding his potential from them? He really was ignorant of the supernatural?

"Garuwashi-san," Kiba spoke up. "How did you determine we were Devils?"

One finger was immediately shot towards Asia. With every eye following and landing on her, the former priestess jumped at the sudden attention and started to shrink away.

"Asia tries to pray. A lot. And the keyword is _try. _But her prayers are always cut off with sudden headaches or her tripping over nothing. Sometimes she trips while she's standing still. Asia, how do you do that by the— never mind.

"I'm no magus, but I know the bare-bone basics of the world around me," he added with a shrug. "Devils can't pray to the One God. Asia, obviously, must be a Devil. She hangs with the Occult Research Club. Therefore, it's only logical to assume the rest of you are Devils as well with you, club president, being their King."

Rias' lower lip twitched. Something he said caught her attention. But… more investigation needed to be put into it.

"So you knew all along…" Rias said with a sigh.

"No, no," he shook his head. "I barely put everything together just now. I figured some of you were Devils but couldn't tell if all of you are. But with the way you were trying to get me to join the club, it meant you're either the King or a Devil who's trying to recruit me for the actual King. I really just took a shot in the dark just now. I was ready to make a fool of myself if I had been wrong."

"Lan-kun," Akeno spoke up in a soft and quiet voice. She looked uncertain. When he looked her way, her smile fell to an insecure line. "Do you… know?"

At first, he wasn't sure what she was asking him. Realization hit him immediately. His eyes widened just a fragment before his stalwart expression returned. He lifted his hand and offered it to her. Hesitant at first, Akeno crossed the room and took it.

"All I know is that I'm going to have one hell of a hot babe for a _long _time," he said with a smirk. He even wiggled his brows.

Akeno's smile lit up the room as relief washed over her.

Rias smiled. He was a good person. It had always been planned to ease Lantano into the world of the supernatural if he hadn't been a Magician like she thought. Not just so he wouldn't suffer culture-shock, but so he would have a more open mindset and accept Akeno. Most humans have the wrong impressions of Devils. It wasn't their fault as Devils centuries ago _were _horrendous creatures of destruction and malevolence.

Luckily, nothing seemed to have changed. Lantano still accepted Akeno. It felt like their love just grew a little more at this moment.

"If it means anything," Rias opened up once more. "The offer will always stand. You are welcomed into my peerage whenever you want. I can go over all the perks and privileges that come along with it, if you'd like?"

"Eh," he refused.

She shrugged. "Worth a try. But be that as it may, my _other _offer for you to join the Occult Research Club stands. Now that you don't need to be a Devil for. And my father's letter of recommendation is still on the table."

Before the conversation could proceed (not that it actually would), there was a knock on the door. The twin doors flew open before she could say anything.

A large group of students stepped into the room. Leading the bunch was the Student Council president and Rias' long-time rival, Souna Shitori. Or, in accordance to her actual name, Sona Sitri.

Sona had brought her entire peerage. "Good evening, Rias."

"Sona," Rias greeted a bit more casually. She looked at the clock. Had it really been _that _time already? "I'm sorry for not giving you an appropriate welcoming. We had other business to take care of first. It just so happens we're concluding it."

This day had been scheduled ever since the two had tried to book a meeting with the Familiar Master a few months back. Due to an error, they both had him reserved but could not comply with both their requests simultaneously. The Familiar Master said he would have to choose which one of the two he would accompany or cancel them both. They convinced him to keep the schedule and would guarantee only one of them would show up.

A series of games and competitions were waged between the two ever since then. Neither of them had ever won a single match. And the deadline was approaching quickly. They needed to settle this immediately or else have to resort to, Lords of the Damned forbid, a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

There was no honor or sense of superiority on either side when it came to that game…

But with Asia now a part of her peerage, maybe, just _maybe, _it would be enough to tip the scales and _finally _put Sona in her place! It was also convenient Asia needed a familiar.

It should be mentioned no one in her peerage needed a familiar when this appointment was made. She only scheduled it because she heard Sona was going to. And then this whole mess happened.

"Is there nothing I can do to convince you to join at this moment, Lantano-kun?" Rias turned back towards another potential piece that will make her superior to Sona. "We provide dental insurance."

"Um… no," he gave another blunt rejection.

"Oh, I did not realize you brought a guest here," Sona stepped further into the room. There was hunger in her voice at the sign of an unclaimed person. "A potential addition to your _club, _Rias? Garuwashi-san, we haven't met. I've heard much about you. I am the Student Council president, Souna Shi…to…"

When she crossed the room and cycled around Akeno, who had continued to stand at his side and block her visual of him, Sona got a good look at Lantano. Her sentence dropped. Her face blanched. She stared at Lantano with recognition, and with it, shock.

Her face flashed scarlet so fast she nearly lost her footing and stumbled backwards. "L-L-L-L-L-L-L-LOGAN?!"

"Logan?" Asia and Kiba repeated.

"Logan?" some of the members of the Student Council repeated as well.

"Logan?" Akeno's head swiveled around and did not question so much as she did _accuse _her dear boyfriend.

"…Logan?" but confusion was written on his face as much as the rest. But then something flashed in his eyes— realization. An answer had gone through his head; he knew why Sona was behaving this way. But he quelled the reaction down. Had Rias not been looking at him she would have missed the gesture entirely.

"I…" Sona cleared her throat and pressed her hands against her vest. It was a habit of hers to wipe the sweat off her palms discreetly. "I am mistaken. I am very sorry, Garuwashi-san. You look a lot like a… c-certain someone…"

"Kaichou," a sickeningly sweet voice from Akeno rang a chime of bells… and doom. "Would the person you're thinking about be named Logan Gyre?"

Lantano's face was as stoic as it was before. But not even he could hide the flash of sweat that was starting to surface on his face.

Sona looked at the Gremory Queen in shock. "How did— I mean, NO! You're sorely mistaken. I've never met any Logan Gyre. I never met a Logan before. Is Logan even a name?"

The blood rushed back to her face as she made it her ultimate goal to look everywhere except the singular spot Lantano resided. She was remembering something. Something the likes of someone as stern as Sona would be rendered a blushing schoolgirl.

Lantano was on his knees, trying to tear his hand free from Akeno's grip. She had never let go since he had offered it and now it was being used against him. Her Queen's strength was breaking every bone in his hand with crackling noise.

"Is there something you want to explain, Lan-kun?" Akeno kept her heartfelt smile despite the heat in her voice.

Unfortunately, Lantano was too busy trying to get her to let go. He didn't have the ability to respond as nothing but pain was consuming his mind. He was only human and did not have the durability to resist her strength. Even among Devil-kind Akeno was above average due to her mixed blood.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't quite catch that," Akeno's smile turned twisted as a tint of red reached her cheeks. She was no longer punishing him. She was getting off on his pain. "What was your answer?"

She adjusted her grip. Just a few fingers tensing at certain regions of his knuckles made him squeal out his pain instead of the silent screams he had been giving. She moaned at the sound and licked her lips.

"Eh? Does this mean the Kaichou has a secret history with Garuwashi-sempai?"

"I did hear he was a player, but I didn't think even the Kaichou would have fallen for him."

"Himejima-sempai is smitten with him."

"He's the only thing the girls in my homeroom talk about."

In the background, Sona's peerage were adding fuel to the fire with their comments.

"Alright, alright, alright!" cried Lantano from his spot on the floor. "I give! Uncle! Akeno, UNCLE!"

Akeno huffed but complied and released him. He gasped and went to cradle his shattered hand. The thing was disfigured as she did not hold back her strength one bit. It more so resembled a deflated balloon than a human hand.

"Well…?" Akeno eyed him as she crossed her arms and tapped her fingers in an impatient rhythm.

Asia was at his side as soon as the Queen released him. Her Twilight Healing was already working its wonders and placing every shard of bone back in its place and reknitting every fiber of torn muscle.

"Ah, thank you Asia," Lantano gave a small sigh of relief.

"Himejima-san," Sona adjusted her glasses. Her strict and firm expression was back as she began to provide damage control in an even tone. "I was mistaken. Please do not be so harsh to Garuwashi-san due to a misunderstanding."

"There's no point in trying, Sona," his eyes hardened as Asia continued to heal him. Those eyes refused to bend to Akeno's demurring attitude. He met his girlfriend's glare with one of his own. "During one of my visits here, I stayed with the old man for a few weeks. I met Sona during that time."

Akeno cocked her head to the side and waited for a further explanation.

"…What else is between she and I," he said in a firm and unbending tone. He would not have any further argument. "If you want to know anything further you will have to discuss it between either of us. In private. It's not fair to her to place her in this situation."

He tilted his head towards the spectators— that being the Student Council and the Occult Research Club. Both parties had seen the entire drama play out.

It was debatable whether Akeno was in the wrong or not. However, the Queen did realize what she had done. Her splendid smile returned, but there was a glint of shame in her eyes. "Oh dear. I've made quite the spectacle, haven't I? I'm very sorry for that, Kaichou. I hope this doesn't harm your views on my King at all."

Sona adjusted her glasses once more. It had taken her a bit longer than usual to regain her composure. But once found, she was the incarnation of professionalism. "There is no harm done on my end. If anything, I believe you owe Garuwashi-san an apology. You did disintegrate his offhand."

"I did?" Akeno played ignorant as she tapped a slender finger against her cheek and tilted her head. "Hmm. You must be mistaken. If I wanted to take my anger out on my beloved Lan-kun I would have sent ten-thousand watts of electricity through his body, frying his nerves, and watch him twitch on the floor as he releases his bowels."

Only those of the Occult Research Club, Sona, and her Queen Tsubaki have grown accustomed to Akeno's… hobbies. It was interesting watching the remainder of Sona's peerage twitch and squirm from the way Rias' Queen flushed and wiggled her hips from self-inflicted tingling urges.

"Thank you again, Asia," Lantano showed no sign that he was bothered by Akeno's words. He more than likely had a mental defense against her. He was her boyfriend after all and would have to have some sort of tolerance to her habits. At the moment, he was flexing his repaired hand and offering a small smile towards the Bishop. "It feels better than before."

"O-Of course!" Asia returned the smile with a small blush.

Akeno wasn't happy at the sign. And— Rias withheld the snicker— neither was Sona. Except Sona had a tremendously better method of hiding her emotions. Only Rias, who had been at her side since the days of the cradle, knew her childhood friend's habits better than she herself did.

"Right, well, seeing as your business with me is done," Lantano gathered his things and began to inch his way towards the door. "I'll be going now. No, Rias, I won't be thinking about your offer. I'm going to find a way into my choice of club."

The cheeky bastard then gave a wink to Sona. The Student Council president raised a brow; she didn't know what it meant. At the least she didn't act like a love-struck schoolgirl like how she did moments before.

"Have a pleasant evening everyone, please don't do anything I would do, and Akeno, love, I'll see you later."

He kissed two fingers and pointed them at her before turned around and leaving.

"…Akeno, I believe your boyfriend ran away… again," Rias said as soon as he was gone. This was not the first time Lantano had slipped out at the earliest convenience. This time, however, he had done so in plain sight. The other times had been him vanishing as soon as she took her eye off of him. Only the signs of the door clicking or the breeze of an open window indicated which direction he had fled. Countermeasures had been made, but he always found a way to escape.

"Ah, Buchou," Kiba raised his hand with a quizzical look on his face. "Is the reason Kaichou is here because of… _that_?"

He was reminding her to get back to business. She nodded and stood from her spot on the desk.

The two Kings faced each other. Already a psychic battle flashed within their mind's eyes. The glint of their eyes told another of their strategies and intentions; they had known another for so long they could read another's thoughts with but a glance.

"…He's mine," Rias said with a predatory smile.

Sona adjusted her glasses. They flashed in red light for an instant. "Garuwashi Lantano-san is available? Well then. This changes everything. Why don't we add him to the wager, Rias?"

"My, oh my, Kaichou~" sang Akeno in a voice of dread. "Surely you don't mean to steal _my _man?"

Sona looked at her. She did not back down. There was something challenging in her glare. Though, she responded respectfully, "I would never take something as precious as that. When he's a part of my peerage I will not forbid you from seeing him."

A dangerous look appeared on Akeno. "Oh? Surely you meant _if _he joins. I must have misheard."

"There was no misunderstanding," Sona replied smoothly. "I fully intend to make him mine and won't hold back to make it happen."

Their eyes flashed. This was no longer a friendly contest. The idea of obtaining an appointment with the Familiar Master was forgotten. This was now two lovers, one former and the other current, battling over the affections of a man.

Rias smiled. Victory was hers. Sona might throw everything at this next challenge, but Akeno would become a demon for the sake of Lantano.

0-0-0

He arrived at the parlor at the witching hour, when business for the day had dropped to its lowest and only the deadbeats remained. No one gave him a second glance as he walked forward in his ragged coat and dirty hair. He walked with a slight limp; his right leg was moving stiffly as though the knee refused to fully bend. The keeper nodded once to him and gestured towards the back of the room; and he kept walking until he went around the corner and further into the hallway.

Kylar slipped inside, shut the door, and shrugged out of his costume. Even for a brisk meeting he had gone through great lengths to look like a homeless. Makeup had been applied masterfully to give the illusion of smeared dirt and grime all over his skin. A special perfume had been concocted to get the smell just right. And then his clothes had been mistreated enough to finish the look.

He was a regular customer here— or at least the homeless drunk he pretended to be. This was a persona he had created even as his time as Issei Hyoudou. He would wander in, buy drinks, but his stench would drive customers away or would have him thrown out instead. But he always came back and with coin. Eventually, the keeper told him to go to the back, away from the clientele who lingered in the main lobby, and would be served drinks there.

Months of planning and execution had been made doing this. All for the Night Angel to secretly meet with some of his agents.

The dishwasher entered with a tray of beers, shut the door behind him, and pretended to ignore the stench. After months of exposure his tolerance had grown but could not completely wipe away his displeasure. At least now it didn't make him gag.

Of course, Sona couldn't stop herself from pulling a handkerchief over her nose. She sat on a stool at the far back of the small room. She had been waiting for him; she arrived through a summoning sigil directly within the room. None had seen her enter and none would see her leave. It would be as though she was never here.

"Sorry," Kylar said with a shrug. "I'd say you'd get used to it but…" His eyes went towards the dishwasher.

Ajuka Beelzebub tried his best to not scrunch his nose. In a few minutes his magic would kick in and dilute his sense of smell enough to ignore Kylar. The Beelzebub Satan shrugged at Kylar's gesture, placed his tray down, and went to his seat on a wooden chair.

The room was originally a small closet for supplies. There were shelves full of various glasses, some wines that had rotted, cleaning utensils and detergents in the corner, and a few articles of clothing that had been forgotten from previous patrons of the parlor. The room was tight-packed with hardly any space to hold three people.

At least there was ventilation. This room was supposed to be an office for a dentistry before being out-bought and turned into a bar. It had a window and vents for the air conditioner. Unfortunately, in order to prevent ears listening from the outside, the window had to be sealed. The vent blew air to lessen the stench; he had been _that _considerate. Still, he had someone make a magic sigil within the vents to block off any form of surveillance of both mundane and mystical sorts.

"I never would have guessed you were Hyoudou Issei," began Sona, still holding her napkin over her nose. She gave an apologetic nod at her indiscretion, and he would return with his own and not hold it against her. "Rather, I never would have thought _Garuwashi Lantano _was Hyoudou Issei, and therefore the Night Angel."

Sona had been a tremendous help to him. She had been inducted into Legion upon recommendation by her sister, Serafall Leviathan. Naturally, she had been tested on both her performance and her loyalties. She had succeeded and had been inducted into the Order.

Her first task was to keep tabs on Rias Gremory. Nothing that would betray her loyalties to her best friend, of course. But when Rias began to dig into Issei's profile, Sona had fed the Gremory girl false information and had warned the Order. Legion responded, swapping their members with others within the city to conceal as much information as possible. It had been coordinated to throw Rias off her game and shun her from any unwanted secrets.

It couldn't be avoided, however, that her city was under the control of someone else. She continued to dig into the affairs but would find nothing.

"…Or Logan Gyre," she added, a hint of betrayal in her tone.

"Later," he said in a commanding voice. They would be discussing that affair at another time. Right now, they had business to deal with. "What can you tell me right now?"

If she had been upset, she didn't show it. She began to recite logistics off the top of her head. How businesses he invested in were profiting, the series of rumors spreading throughout the city, and who was dealing with who under the table. Sona was an excellent secretary and had been trusted enough with the reins of the network he built in the city. One day he planned on introducing her to Yasaka who would mentor her, and would one day take the mantle as the Mistress of Pleasure.

Right now, though, he trusted her with the responsibility of keeping tabs of all the prostitutes as well as the more modest of entertainers throughout the city. Every entertainment from maid cafes, to movie theatres, to aquariums, and then some were under his control— under multiple names, of course. Members of Legion were placed as clerks and servers of these industries.

"Business is as usual…" Kylar said with almost a bored tone. He now had a list of people to kill, to bribe, and to blackmail just as much as he needed to protect.

"There is another thing," Sona interjected before he began to question Ajuka. "Recently, there have been more Church Exorcist than the norm. Some of which don't bother to notify the overseer of their presence. I believe they are looking for something."

"Why's that?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. He was simply challenging Sona.

She adjusted her glasses before answering. "Agents have reported of their presence and leave as soon as they come. Sometimes they ask questions about the abandoned church the Fallen had previously used. The fact that they don't notify Gremory of their presence tells the Church doesn't want their presence to be noticed. It means whatever the Church is after is something they don't want the Devils to know."

He had come to the same conclusion. On his patrols he had spotted these Exorcists. He watched them closely but moved on to more pressing demands as the Night Angel. There was nothing out of the norm, until Sona gave this report.

"Do you know what they are after?" Ajuka was the one to ask.

Sona shook her head. "We are looking into it. But it will take time."

"Discretion demands time," Kylar spoke up. "But if the Church is sneaking around it means they don't have time. Sooner or later Gremory will learn about this. The Church would know this."

Sona looked at him. "Should Rias know about this?"

"That is her responsibility as overseer," Kylar answered. He put up his hand before she could protest. "We are _Sa'Kage, _Lords of Shadow. We protect from the shadows, against the shadows, and for the light. Our existence is to never be known. That is the purpose of Legion."

"…Yes," she said after some time and thought. "I understand. Should there be some… precautions in case?"

He nodded and turned towards Ajuka. "Rotate members. Bring in more combative ones. Other than that, we should proceed as normal. If we set up sentries or scouts it might alert the Church. I'm curious to know what they're after but I don't want there to be a panic over it."

"If I may," Sona spoke up. "Wouldn't it be more efficient to send a request to Michael? Perhaps he can inform us on what is transpiring?"

"Michael would have told us if he knew," Kylar leaned back and stroked the fake beard on his chin. "But, this isn't a first. The Church has always been after my treasures, saying they are creations of the One God and deserve to be in the hands of His followers. They probably had someone notice the surge of power a while back and are looking into it. Regardless, this shouldn't be brushed off whether I am right or wrong. Proceed as you would and watch them carefully. But do not engage no matter what. I'll deal with them if necessary."

Ajuka, looking slightly bored at the subject, folded his hands in his lap. "It would be more efficient to have Rias involved. Are you sure you don't want to have her included into the Order?"

Kylar looked at him for a moment, studying the ancient Devil. "That sounds half Falbium and half Sirzechs. Did they put you up to asking me this? Speaking of which, when is the Master of Coin going to get off his lazy ass and do something? Don't answer that. As for Gremory, her induction into the Order is entirely dependent on how she deals with her engagement to Raizer Phenex."

"You don't mean to say _you _planned that?" Sona spoke out of term with anger clear in her voice.

"No," he answered anyways. "What I had planned was much more… demanding, let's say. Her engagement was made through her family affairs."

"…And what are the requirements she must fulfill in order to—"

"That's getting into a personal topic, Sona," he chastised. "I know you want to help your friend, and you're free to do so, but don't use the resources of Legion to do it. Especially when Rias is on trial. She's to use her own resources to figure something out."

There was more she wanted to say, but she held her tongue and lowered her head in understanding.

"Is there anything else, Sona?" he asked again.

She thought it over, running through the list in her head once more. "No. That is everything I need to report. But if I may, usually I report these things to Azrael-sama. Why did you request to meet in person?"

He indulged her curiosity. He shrugged and gave a charming smile. "Because I like to see your pretty face. I missed it."

She didn't take the bait. Instead, she gave him a blunt look with a slightly raised brow.

He sighed at her dismissive expression. His whimsical mood shifted to one of surrealism. "I think I owe you the respect to have this discussion in person. I look forward to working with you, Sona Sitri."

"Thank you, Night Angel-sama," she bowed her head in professional respect.

"That'll be all," he dismissed her with a wave. "Oh. Before I forget. Good luck in the games this week. Everyone in the club are pretty mean with the bat… except Asia. Even with her Devil's strength I doubt she can lift the thing. I'll be cheering for my girl, naturally, or else she'll fillet me. Literally. But just know I'm really rooting for you guys. I _really _don't want to be in ORC."

He would not share his reasons why, despite the inquisitive look Sona gave him. She didn't voice her question. Instead, she thanked him, gave her courtesies to the both of them, and vanished in a reverse summoning spell.

"Now, Ajuka," Kylar's voice shifted from a friendly tone to one befitting of the Night Angel. "Why _has _the Church been sending Excalibur wielders into my city?"

The Satan gave him a wry smile.

0-0-0

Kylar sighed. Since when were the gods on his side? Fate was a bitch, they said, and it was true.

The Student Council had lost at the third and final game. Despite their numerical advantage, they didn't stand a chance against the tenacity of the Occult Research Club. Sona and her peerage had lost, thus Kylar was forced to apply to the Occult Research Club. He had half a mind to apply for the Student Council anyways, to show that it was _his _decision and not theirs, but Sona said she would refuse the application because of her honor at the loss.

Rias was beaming. Not because he was a valuable prize to her, but simply because she had defeated Sona. The effect eventually died down after a few days.

However, the bliss radiating off of Asia's entire being never died down. In fact, as the days went by the warmth seemed to grow. To the point where it was no longer warmth and now just blistering heat. He always began to sweat when around her. Cold sweat, as though the heat radiating off of her was just his body warmth being drunk by her.

She was always at his side whenever Akeno had allowed it, as rare as it could be. He did his best to keep his distance away from her, and the girl never took a hint. He also didn't want to flat-out tell her to stay away. It would break his heart as much as hers.

He didn't want to admit it, but he liked Asia. He wanted her to stay at his side and loved her company. He loved her smile. He loved her kindness. He loved the way she blushed whenever they talked, the way she fiddled with her fingers, and the way she slipped on her words. He loved her dedication to the One God as she prayed out of both habit and pure faith… only to be struck by rejection and pain as a Devil.

But he _hated _how she was like Elene in almost every way. Asia had Elene's passion and the desire to understand another. Asia knew he was the Night Angel and had seen him do atrocious things, but had accepted him and wanted to know more about him. The only thing she lacked was the fire Elene had. While neither girl had no evil bone within them, at least Elene had a few dark thoughts here and there.

Asia was _completely _innocent.

He wanted to join the Student Council because he didn't want to be anywhere near Asia. She followed him around like a love-starved kitten, which wasn't far from the truth after digging deeper into her profile. Still, it was a natural habit for him to try to distance himself. The cost of his immortality was love. He didn't want Asia to fall in love with him and he didn't want to fall for her.

He was still getting sick with worry over Akeno. But he dove furiously into his training to make it so he wouldn't die by another mistake.

"So… _why _am I going with you guys?" he asked on one evening.

They were all gathered after the sun had set. It was strange to ask him to stay this late. He had thought they were going to show him the ropes of Devil activities so to either warm him into becoming one or to persuade him to request it himself. Instead, Rias had wanted him to join them in a planned trip down into the Underworld.

"We are going to meet the Familiar Master and get Asia a familiar, Lan-kun," Rias answered with her pompous smile. He told her to stop calling him that, repeatedly, but she did so anyways. She was a playful person and always took care not to step on his toes. He allowed her this but continued to play her game to get her to stop. "Since you are a Magician, why not go get one yourself? Don't worry. This one is on me. Consider it a welcoming present from your Buchou."

He also refused to call her 'Buchou'. Even if it was an order.

He sighed and put his hands on his hips. "But I already have familiar. _Two _of them. One named Ezra and the other Roygaris. And they are _awesome. _And a bitch to take care of. Do you know how much they eat?"

"Ezra? Like the prophet?" asked Kiba with a curious smile. He _always _smiled. But it was always fake. Everyone else was fooled, but never Kylar. Still, he never called the Knight out on it.

"No, I named Dorian after the prophet," he retorted. Inwardly, he was grinning. These people had no idea what he was talking about.

"…I'm sorry, Lan-kun," Rias' brows scrunched in confusion. "I'm not aware of any prophet by the name of Dorian."

"…That's three," stated Koneko with a sharp gaze.

"Yeah… I always forget about that one," he waved a hand in dismissal. In actuality, there was no third familiar. He just threw it in there for the sake of. "You guys know I'm human, right? The toxins in the Underworld will kill me."

"That won't be a problem if you become a Devil," Rias returned with a large grin. "Then you can come and go as you please."

"No," he returned bluntly for the ninth time this week.

She shrugged, her face in feigned woe. "Oh dear. I'll have you somehow, Lan-kun. But for now, I can cast a spell to have you breathe normally. It's a simple spell used whenever a human has business in the Underworld, such as a Magician like yourself."

He noted how she wasn't willing to have him learn it. He glanced at Akeno, who gave him a knowing smile. She knew what he was thinking. If he learned it, then Rias would lose one of her advantages over him. He would be able to enter the Underworld without penalties to his body. Instead, he would have to return to her whenever he wanted to go into the pits of Hell.

She didn't know he could do so whenever he wanted. He knew the spell already. He wasn't very good at conventional magic like that, but after several generations of attempts he could do the bare basics of every field. Some better than others but never at a master's level. Physical augmentations was his field of expertise.

"…Let's just get this over with," he said with a weary sigh.

0-0-0

Days had passed with eerie silence. He wasn't used to having nothing to do. Patrols as the Night Angel have lately been aimless wandering. There was the occasional crook for him to judge, but they were more distractions to his idleness than anything.

He almost leapt for joy when, one day, as he entered the Occult Research Club after school, he was met with two Exorcists of the Church.

He recognized them immediately but feigned ignorance. They were Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou, two wielders of the Excalibur Fragments of Destruction and Mimic respectively. Currently, their backs were to the door, but upon his entrance they turned and studied him. He projected himself as an average student— slumping his shoulders, dragging his feet, feigning surprise and obliviousness in his expression— so to not warrant any attention from the girls. He did not want them to think he was exceptional in any way.

They dismissed him as what he wanted from them and returned to their discussion with Rias.

"You are mistaken," Xenovia resumed the conversation. "We are not here to request your permission. We are merely letting you know of our presence here. Our superiors have ordered it and to see if you are or are going to be involved in any way."

Rias' cheerful expression had been washed away some time ago. She openly glared like a fierce predator having her territory invaded. But her demands as the city's overseer was more important than her own pride. "I assure you my peerage has not and will not partake in anything relating to the Church. Thank you for the notice. But I share the city with Sona Sitri. You will have to present yourself to her as well."

"Oh, we already did that," chimed Irina. While Xenovia was stern, Irina was bubbly. "She pretty much said the same thing. Don't worry. We'll take care of everything and be out of your way."

They turned to leave, ignoring the procedure of proper courtesies. Rias' brow twitched at this but she did not react any further.

The one who was fuming the most was Kiba, who was glaring absolute hatred at the two Exorcists. They had noticed, and how could they not, but ignored him. He was a Devil and they were priestesses; it was only logical to assume one would hate the other.

They didn't notice how he was glaring at the weapons they were hiding. Kylar noticed. He would need to keep a careful eye on Kiba on the next few days.

The Exorcists suddenly stopped as they passed by Asia, who had been keeping to herself at the side of the room. Xenovia eyed her, studying her, and then realized who she was. She approached the Bishop.

"You are Asia Argento? The Holy Maiden?"

Asia's eyes widened slightly at the title. There was a twinkle of light in her eyes at the recognition, but it was shadowed under layers of doubt and fear. "Y-Yes."

Xenovia grimaced. "So, you have become a Devil. That is… most disappointing. To think one blessed so highly would fall so low."

Asia almost whimpered. She refused to cry though. She only braved the insults as she knew they would come eventually.

Kylar spared a glance at Rias. The Gremory King shook her head, telling him not to get involved just as she wouldn't. It was always a delicate matter whenever the Church was involved. The slightest insult to them would bring down the hammer. Or worse, the Lae'Knaught.

It still amazed him how after eons the Warriors of Light were still around.

"It's strange…" continued Xenovia as she studied Asia. As if she were a cancerous rodent sealed in a glass case. "You still believe in God, don't you?"

"Xenovia, don't be silly," Irina prattled in a sing-song voice. "Devils can't worship God."

Xenovia shook her head. "I can still smell the faith within her. She may be tainted but it's still there, lingering. Tell me, Asia, do you still believe in God even after becoming a Devil?"

He gave another look to Rias. She shook her head again. He folded his arms and moved to lean against the wall next to the door.

Asia looked at Kylar, as if he held the answer. He didn't give her anything. His expression never changed as he watched the engagement. She looked then towards her hands as if she was holding the answers between her fingers.

"Yes," she eventually answered. Unresolved faith shone in her eyes as she returned Xenovia's gaze with one of her own. "I still try to pray to Him. I know I can't, but I can't abandon my beliefs."

Xenovia's lips thinned. "Then shouldn't you do something to absolve yourself of this betrayal? You are a _Devil_. If you still believe in the teachings, why haven't you taken your life?"

Asia had no answer.

Kylar moved away from the wall. Only the fierce look from Rias made him stop from doing anything else. If only. He knew better than she did about the political affairs within the snake's den that was the Church. Two Exorcists, especially wielders of the Excalibur Fragments, were high on that totem pole. To insult them would cause many problems. Most of those problems would be directed onto Rias as she was the one responsible. She needed to play host. Their demands weren't unreasonable. If they had a neutral understanding then that would bring about the best result. The slightest tipping of the scale would bring trouble.

He hated the Church. But it had its uses.

Xenovia bowed her head, as though in sympathy. Perhaps through her unique understanding of the faith she did sympathize. "I see. Then I shall do so. As an Exorcist I have the authority. Do you consent to this, Asia Argento? In death your sins will be forgiven."

Xenovia moved her hand to the large sword on her back.

That hand was pulled to her back as her legs were swept off the floor. She was airborne for a split second before Kylar threw her to the ground. Her body was pinned with him pulling the hand he gripped at an awkward angle around her back and his other hand pressing her head against the floor.

No one had seen him move. His knee was to the weapon on her back, using the majority of his weight to keep her in place. His eyes were blazing with fury.

"Lantano! Let her go!" Rias quickly stood and tried to fix the disaster.

He wouldn't listen. "Fuck off, Gremory. You are not my King."

His words made her mouth gape and frame stiffen.

His eyes went back towards the Exorcist under his knee. "You. Apologize. Or the arm comes off."

"Coward," hissed Xenovia. "Striking from behind! You expect me to apologize for offering penance to a witch?!"

"Lantano," pressed Akeno this time. Her usual smile was gone. "Let her go. Please."

_~She even said please,~ _the Black Ka'Kari muttered in the most unhelpful of times.

Irina put one hand to her arm, where a metal band was wrapped around the bicep. He knew it was Excalibur Mimic and knew it would warp into any blade of her choosing. She was willing to use it against him. His eyes shot towards her. No words were said. There was no need. The ferocity in his look alone made her stagger back and think about the unspoken threat.

"I won't ask again," he said in a soft, if not cold, voice. His grip on her arm tightened. It was a gesture to show the threat wasn't idle. His threats are _never _idle. He had learned from the very beginning any threat he made would be true. An idle threat was as useful as a blunted blade.

"Lan-kun… please…" Asia pleaded at his side. "I… I don't want anyone hurt."

Seconds passed as he looked at Asia. The room was tense as everyone watched with anticipation on how he would react. These seconds were as long as hours. They all began to fidget, about to move.

"Gremory, I'm sorry," he said with a slight sigh. His grip was released and he stepped off Xenovia. He stood and fixed his uniform jacket. "Well, not about any of this, really. But about your window."

"My… window…?" Clear confusion swept through Rias. She had thought him mad.

And then she realized what he was implying.

"WAIT—" she tried to stop him.

When Xenovia stood, shirking away from him and rolling her shoulder, he grabbed her again. By the hair and collar of her cloak. There was no time for anyone to react. He was a blur as he used his Talent to lift her, swing her around in a tight axis, and flung her directly towards the window.

It was a miracle she didn't strike the edge or the wall. It also spoke testament to his aim and handling. Wood and glass shattered as she was thrown across the room, colliding with the window, and propelled out of the building from the second story.

Kylar flexed his hand. There was a chunk of hair and blood stuck to it.

Everyone looked at him with agape horror.

He looked only once to Irina. His eyes were cold, merciless. Harder than steel and more oppressive than any angel she had come into contact with. For all she knew, he was the Angel of Justice itself.

"Leave."

It was not a request. It was not a command. It was a threat.

Irina did not give it a single thought as she fled from the room.

0-0-0

Of course Rias ripped him a new one as soon as they were gone. She told him things he knew about regarding the Church. But she was determined to lecture him on the foundations of the Biblical Factions, their political system, and how a single hair out of place could trigger another Great War. He knew all this. He had stopped many incidents from starting another War. For fuck's sake, _he_ stoppedthe Great War in the first place!

He couldn't tell her these things. So he kept his head down low, apologized repeatedly, and kept his mouth shut when she scolded him. He had never seen her this upset before.

In the end, however, and it startled him, she thanked him for protecting Asia and even gave him a hug. The appreciation embarrassed him. The hug, however, freaked the hell out of him.

Akeno wasn't talking to him. He had a good guess it had to do with Asia. If she were a normal woman he would be able to have a more solid guess. But with Akeno, it could be anything. Eons dealing with women couldn't prepare him for the sadistic Queen. Then again, as much as he boasted, women were always his bane in general.

More importantly, he couldn't afford to have a pair of Exorcists running amok like this. The previous units he could have ignored as they didn't draw in any attention. It had been clear those before had been scouts and the two here now were the main infantry. Rias had shared with him someone had stolen an Excalibur Fragment from the Church and these two were sent to retrieve it. They didn't want the Devils involved in worry they would try to steal the Fragment for themselves.

If such were the case then the Church should have continued with its stealth operations. He needed to find out what they were really up to.

And it wasn't very hard to find them. He didn't even need to make a phone call.

Hours after getting booted out of the Occult Research Club, Kylar had found the two priestesses in the garden center of the shopping district. They had an open basket at their feet with a few coins inside. To his amusement, they were chanting prayers and reciting verses of the bible about giving offerings. They were asking for donations.

It wasn't difficult for him to approach them without making a sound or without gaining their attention. He didn't need to use his Talent for this. The only sound he made were a few crinkling of bills being counted from his wallet and fluttering into the basket.

"Thank you very much good… sir…" drawled out Irina. Her smile dropped just as slowly as her words as she turned at his sudden appearance.

"You!" growled Xenovia. There were bandages wrapped around her head from where he ripped a chunk of hair from her scalp.

He put up his hands and offered a friendly smile. Well, as friendly as he could give. He was still upset about the words shared towards Asia but was mature enough to hold back his emotions… most of the time. Right now was a good example.

"I would like to have a word with you two," he said. "I'm not apologizing for anything and I won't demand anything of you. I only want a few minutes of your time."

They both eyed him warily. Xenovia was the first to state the question on both their minds. "Are you not affiliated with the Devils?"

"I'm held against my will to be their slave," though he spoke sarcastically he could not withhold the sigh that escaped. He realized these two took his words seriously and corrected himself. "Now hold on. I meant there are circumstances— No, I'm not with them. I'm a member of their club but I am my own person. I'm not a Devil nor aligned to them. Just another student of Kuoh Academy."

They looked at another, not believing his words for the briefest of moments. Nonetheless, they could only accept his excuse.

Xenovia spoke again, "We don't have time to prattle. I thank you for your generosity and offer blessings." They both made a sign of the crucifix. "If you must, be brief. We are on a holy crusade and cannot allow any distractions."

"Xenovia," Irina patted her partner's shoulder. "We can at least hear him out."

"I'll be quick," Kylar said but looked at their surroundings. "Would you mind if we relocate? This isn't exactly something we should talk about in the open."

A brow was raised by Xenovia. Irina seemed to trust him, or at least didn't show any disbelief in her bubbly personality. They looked at another once more, nodded and gestured unspoken conversations with their eyes, and eventually came to an agreement.

"Very well, please leave the way…" Xenovia spoke, again. He wondered if it was just her dominating personality or if she was the senior of the group. Her brows scrunched up. "I'm sorry. Your name…?"

"Garuwashi Lantano," he said. But then thought about it. "Hmm. Or Lantano Garuwashi. At least, that's the western version. Whichever you prefer."

"L-Lantano Garuwashi of… A-Argentina?!" Irina's smile dropped as perspiration shimmered on her brow. Her cheeks flushed red.

Xenovia also took a step back. Her arms crossed over her chest regardless of the thick cloak that hid her entire frame. "You… And here I thought you were actually wanting to talk. You may have gotten me by surprise, but you will not take us again. We are trained in combat and are the best of our class in swordsmanship. You will not have your way with our bodies, Lantano Garuwashi!"

"…The fuck?" Kylar, however, had no idea what they were talking about.

_~Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!~ _laughed his Ka'Kari. _~I knew it was going to bite you in the ass someday! But I thought it would be native. To think the legend of the womanizing Lan-kun reached as far as the Eastern Orthodox Church!~_

His brows twitched. "Wait. It's not what you think!"

"T-To think _the _Lantano Garuwashi was real," Irina turned away from him and held her face with both her hands. "N-No. Not like this. I… I promised to keep my chastity for the Lord. T-To think it would be taken by such a brute. Oh Lord give me strength to resist this evil!"

"This was your plan all along!" continued Xenovia. She had one arm extended to shield Irina as they slowly walked backwards away from him. "Shame on you! Taking two maidens who have sworn an oath of abstinence!"

It was a rumor he started based off of his formula for Hyoudou Issei. Instead of being so perverted no one wanted to touch him with a fifty-foot pole, he had created a persona of unparalleled legend in which people placed him on a pedestal. People talked to him, at least. But they worshiped him at a distance. Thus, he was able to keep his distance without being fully isolated and harassed. Men told stories about him and women cooed at the sight of him. And hardly anyone approached this godlike wonder.

Apparently his own legend was so great it had reached the furthest corners of the planet. Including the opposite side of the globe. The deal was, Lantano Garuwashi of Argentina was a man who had, supposedly, courted a hundred girls. He never meant for it to be taken seriously. But when someone like him dated someone like the second most sought-out beauty in all of Kuoh City, then it _must _be true.

A memory flashed through his mind. When Rias had swung her arms around his and escorted him beside Akeno into the club room. How many people had seen that? What other outlandish rumor had been started because of this _bullshit_?

And because of his carelessness, he was losing the two (scared) Exorcists girls.

Correction: _lost. _Before he could say another word to them, they were booking it as fast as they could. They even left a dust trail from how fast they were sprinting.

…But they still took his money.

0-0-0

It was the next day after school.

Kylar entered the Occult Research Club to report for his daily harassment when he was shocked to see there was hardly anyone present. He knew Rias and Akeno had some family affair to deal with and would leave 'assignments' to the other members to fulfill. However, he found himself and only another member accountable.

He had half a mind to shut the door and pretend he was never there. He could use his Talent to silent the door click and warp the shadows. But, as though his sheer presence alone from standing contemplating his choices was loud as thunder, the girl who had her back towards him turned and gave her beautiful smile his way.

"Ah, good evening, Lan-kun," Asia Argento said.

He tried his best to not grimace. This was the first time he had been alone with Asia since under the identity of Issei. He wondered where Kiba and Koneko were.

"Hello, Asia," he returned the greeting and tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible. He couldn't tell if he let a bit of joy or unease slip. He had mixed feelings of both by being with her. Asia was a great girl and the more time he spent with her in club activities and during short exchanges the more he realized how she was _not _Elene. Asia was her own person.

And he was starting to like her individually.

"Um…" Asia began nervously. She fiddled with her fingers and looked away as she normally would when talking to him. "Kiba-kun hasn't been around since yesterday. I don't think I saw him today in school either. And Koneko-chan said she went to a sweets shop with some friends. But she promised to be back soon and promised to bring us something. And I'm sure you already know about Himejima-sempai and Buchou… being Himejima-sempai's boyfriend and all…"

Himejima. Not Akeno. Akeno wouldn't grant her the courtesy to call her by her name like friends. She still didn't like Asia. Why, Kylar had no clue and could never press her about it.

Her head bowed in thought. Her expression was unreadable.

It was mostly unreadable because he didn't want to know what she was thinking. He sighed and rubbed a few fingers through his hair. "So it's just you and I for now? Alright. What's the big project Rias wants us to take care of?"

If he could focus on what nonsense Rias had left them, the better. He could distract himself until someone else showed up. And if they somehow managed to finish early, he had homework to complete or could excuse himself for the day. Asia couldn't follow him as she had Devil duties after sunset and he didn't need to be here once his responsibilities in the club were complete.

They sat together on one of the couches and began to set up a divination instrument. It was a diamond pendulum connected to a piece of string with four iron pillars keeping it stable. Supposedly, the diamond was supposed to point towards an answer to one of the four corners. The person divining would have to scribble four answers though and place them underneath the instrument.

He didn't know why he partook in these silly things. Most of it was bogus, such as this thing. Especially this thing.

Rias had already set up four answers. Yes, No, Maybe, and Unknown.

"Um… Ise-kun?"

"It's Lantano now," he corrected.

"But…" she tried to find the right words. Sitting beside him, she turned until her knees were touching his. He almost shirked away from her. "In private, when we're alone like this and no one's around… can I call you Ise-kun? Ise was my first friend…"

"I'm still your friend," he replied, smacking his lips after saying such words. They were almost foreign to him. He was still unused to having this kind of company near him after so long. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "You can call me Kylar. It's my real name, after all. But only in private."

He would make a mental note to make sure something like this never happened again. Both getting close to someone for affections to grow and to make sure he was _never _alone with Asia. Ever.

They sat there, awkwardly, watching the pendulum swing around aimlessly. He wondered at what point would be a good time to leave. Right now would have been preferable. But he didn't want to deal with Rias if she found out he skipped club activities early. The girl could be annoying when things didn't go her way. She still thought she could persuade him to join her peerage.

_~And yet that's not enough to get you to leave. What does that tell you about your priorities?~_

"Kylar…" began Asia again after some time. "Thank you. For yesterday. I was so scared and you protected me. I don't know if what I've done is right. I have sinned, I've become a Devil, but I'm so happy with this life that it makes me so confused. I don't know what I'm doing is right or wrong. When she asked me if I wanted to die I almost said yes. I love the Lord and cry every night because I can't pray to Him any longer. The God I love shuns me. When… when the Church abandoned me, I at least had God who listened to my prayers. And now I don't have that anymore."

She began to openly weep. It made his heart ache. She probably didn't have anyone to talk to about this. Asia was a wonderful girl who had many friends in Kuoh, but none of them could get to know the supernatural side of her life. The Occult Research Club probably knew of her circumstances, but they had been… indifferent towards her. Willing to sympathize, but never truly understanding.

Kylar knew. He sympathized. And he understood. He didn't want to, but he did.

He put one hand around her shoulder and pulled her in close. It had been more of a reaction than a planned response. He had no idea what he was doing until it happened. The gesture was meant to be innocent. Asia did not push him away. She embraced him, wrapping her arms around him, gripping the edges of his jacket tightly, and wept harder. He had a million things to say, things to warm her heart or to shun her away if he could decide which to use, but chose to say none of them. He only had the one arm around her shoulder and held her firmly.

"I'm sorry…" she said when most of the tears had run their course. "You've already done so much for me and I've burdened you with this. And I've stained your uniform. I'm so sorry. I'm an idiot girl."

He almost moved to pat her head or to rub the small of her back. He did neither after reeling back in his emotions. Instead, he kneaded his fingers around her shoulder. "Probably," he returned bluntly without remorse. "I think you're too damn nice for your own good. But that's what makes you… you. Asia, do you hate being a Devil?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "N-No. I mean… I can't pray any longer but… I love Buchou, and going to school, and having friends, and I…"

She stopped herself. Her head bowed back down. The grip on his jacket tightened.

"And… I love Kylar Drake…"

Dread and bliss clashed within himself. He had already been the death of her once before; and now he was watching it happen all over again. He had watched her wreath in pain and let her life force bleed out until her eyes went gray. His heart wrenched at the knowledge it shall happen again. But with that despair, he was feeling joy. He was happy to feel horrified for her. It meant she mattered so much to him and didn't want to let her go. She loved him and it was tearing him apart.

He didn't realize what he was doing. Asia was almost on his lap, but her chest was pushed up against him from their embrace. He dropped his arm and it rested at the small of her back. Asia never shied away; she seemed to be drawn further into his gaze as much as he was into hers.

Emerald eyes met sapphire. Both were scared of their feelings. But with their fear… there was hope.

Their lips almost touched. They hesitated at the last instant. More fear rose between them. Fear and insecurity.

It passed. Their lips met. A sigh escaped Asia from a breath she had been holding for months. A longing she believed she could never have was now hers.

They were soft pecks. So gentle it felt like butterflies. It was not the act of kissing that put Kylar into bliss. It was the companionship; the will of being with another he loved hopelessly. The feeling of this desire had been with him for so long and had suppressed it so deep into his core it hurt when another's warmth made its way through him. Layers upon layers of mental and emotional defenses were pierced.

"Wait, stop."

He gasped and pushed her away gently. Both his hands were on her arms while she remained on his lap. He was breathing heavily as though he had put all his effort into these gentle labors.

She was just as bad, if not worse. She had been kissing him with tenderness, putting all of her love into each peck as if they would be their last. And, more than likely, they were.

She had been kissing him with tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I shouldn't have… You're Himejima-sempai's and I… Oh God, please forgive me Ky— ow!"

She flinched by invoking the One God's name. It did nothing to quell her crying.

He lifted her off of him and put her at the cushion to his side. He couldn't look at her as he brushed both his hands through his hair. Without another word, he stood and walked away.

"K-Kylar, please don't go! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that!"

His hand lingered on the doorknob. He knew she was looking at him, tears still running down her face, begging for his forgiveness.

"I'm sorry, Asia," he said instead. She did not know this was hurting him more than she was.

In his heart he knew the truth. He loved her more than he did Akeno.

And it would be the death of her.

Without another glance back at her, he closed the door behind him.

He didn't bother going to school the next day. Nor did he return home to face Akeno, who would be waiting for him to love and embrace.

0-0-0

"We've received word from Michael," Azrael informed from his place behind the desk.

Today, they were in the office of Officer Takahashi, the persona Azrael assumed, had taking a liking to, and had to reinstate. His magic had wiped himself clean from the memories and records when the character Hyoudou Issei had transferred to America. Now that Garuwashi Lantano was present, he had to remake his guise and forge new documents. This had been done hundreds of times before, so most of the matters were settled long in advance. Azrael was the sort of man who was already prepared for the next life and the one after that.

But making a brand new history, hacking into the networks, hypnotizing people, and transferring locations into one he was already involved in _with _the same character was another issue. So much work; and all of it pointless. Had he known the Night Angel was going to waltz back into Kuoh he should have just stayed.

Azrael made it a ritualistic habit to remind his _partner _on this whenever he had the chance.

Today, Kylar was dressed in a black suit while projecting an illusion for his visage to be in the appearance of Durzo Blint. Azrael was not amused but did not comment on it, only raising a brow at the appearance as he would whenever in this guise. Kylar was to be a private detective Officer Takahashi knew well and was discussing a case with him in the man's office.

The door was shut and the blinds were sealed. A magic sigil was made to block any form of interference and surveillance by outside forces.

Sona also sat to Kylar's right. He wanted her involved in as many of these meetings as possible to gain experience. Plus, he always enjoyed her insight. There were some things she picked up immediately that he would only after a certain span of time. His mind was great, but it was spread out into several different fields. Sona was more focused and as sharp as a needle point; astounding but only in so few fields compared to him.

"I hope it's about those Exorcists," Kylar said after massaging his brow.

"Those girls who invaded our territory?" Sona's eyes sharpened and Kylar didn't think they actually could. This girl was never dull. But, given the edge on her voice, she had a reason to be. "I'm sorry, that was out of context. Ignore me."

"No, it's the girls who ran away from _the _Garuwashi of Argentina," Azrael added with a smirk. The cheeky devil. "Michael tells it wasn't just one Fragment being stolen. It was all of them. The only ones out of reach were Destruction and Mimic because their bearers were out in the field. Two others were killed in the stronghold and had their Fragments taken while the rest were stolen directly from the vaults. Nothing else was stolen."

"Why hasn't there been news of this?" Sona inquired.

An excellent question, though Kylar can already figure why.

Azrael indulged her, "By no part of ours, believe it or not. The Church has its way of keeping mum about its fuck ups. Almost two thousand years of experience. Did you know Peter was a rabbit? Not the technical term _rabbit _like how the Bible depicts him as a poor fisherman. An actual rabbit, fur and whiskers and—"

Kylar cleared his throat.

Azrael was making a gesture with a hands over his head mimicking rabbit ears. Kylar stopped him before he began to go into the story about why the pope's hat was oddly shaped.

Azrael almost pouted like a child. Almost. "If word got out four of the seven Fragments were missing, it would gain the attention of the wrong crowds. There are little cults belonging to every Biblical Faction and then some who want those swords. War can break out so easily by these small groups, even if their respective leaders punish them or swear ignorance. Not by the _responsible _men in charge of the Church's decisions, mind you, but from the zealots who simply don't like the other factions.

"This mission would need to be carried out with discretion and utmost secrecy. They told you, what, one Fragment was taken and believed to be extracted here? Not enough for you to ask questions or get involved."

"But we're getting involved," ordered Kylar. "If it was one Fragment then I could let the girls continue their mission whether successful or failing. But four? And to have the other two brought together? Those girls were totally set up. They're walking into a trap and whoever's behind this will have six Excalibur Fragments in their hands. Who was the Church official who ordered them to retrieve the Fragments?"

Azrael shrugged, "Michael has been looking into it but fingers are being pointed everywhere. Not even our agents know who is telling the truth and not. Whoever is at fault, or believed to be, will suffer under harsh scrutiny."

Kylar sat back in his seat and almost massaged his chin. Had he done so then the illusion he projected would have crumbled apart. It was always a pain to rework the weaves in a good illusion. He didn't put it down despite being in a secluded area because of the hassle.

"I figured," he stated. "Do we have any leads to start with?"

"We have more than that," Azrael's eyes brightened with childish glee. Like a cat that had found a cornered mouse. "Azazel has produced us a name. He says his affiliate Kokabiel has gone rogue— or at least missing and can't be tracked. Also, the leading director of the Holy Sword Project a few years back has disappeared as well."

"And you think they are behind this?" Sona asked, fixing the rim of her glasses. "Is there any solid evidence? There will be repercussions otherwise, even if the Night Angel himself judges them guilty."

Kylar nodded at the wisdom of her words. Most would take the Night Angel's judgment to heart and never question it. But there were those who did not believe in his authority and those who did not believe in him altogether. The zealots of the Lae'knaught as well as the enemies he's made over the centuries. Without proof of their actions, it would be hard making a case and proving the Fallen faction's innocence.

He missed the days when he could just walk in, kill someone, and walk away. Well, they had never been _that _simple before, even during such barbaric times as Midcryu. But neither were they as convoluted as this.

"Our agents have spotted them prowling within the city," Azrael answered calmly, though the glint was still there in his eyes. "Maids know which suite he is staying at and in which hotel, servers know which restaurants he gorges himself in, and our—

He eyed Sona for a second.

"…_Friendly _females have told us of his nefarious plans. Kokabiel is a great warrior I am proud to call a brother, but he is still ever the fool who did not so much as _fall _as he was pulled down by his cock. We even know the base of his evil lair."

He then eyed Kylar. "Now all we need to know is when the Night Angel will be paying him a visit?"

"Not now," he answered. "But soon. Just because we know about it doesn't make it evidence. We don't exist. I will, however, sneak into their base and retrieve the Fragments. We will lure Kokabiel out of his hiding hole and force him to make a move. Then we can hand him over to the Exorcists."

Sona turned her head. "They would be walking into their own deaths. Even I've heard of Kokabiel. He might lower his guard for… _pleasantries _but he will not for warriors of the Church." She couldn't help but crinkle her nose. How Kylar envied her innocence. "He was one of the Grigori Lords, whose power was great enough for him to be recorded into the Bible—"

"Book of Enoch is not in the Bible," Azrael mumbled, almost sourly.

Sona continued unperturbed, "In our archives of the Great War is Kokabiel mentioned to be on the front lines of every major battle. He has been at war against the Angels even before the birth of us Devils. To say he will be formidable against two girls no older than two decades is a gross understatement; it's almost laughable."

"But against the Night Angel…?" Kylar interjected before she could finish.

Sona had opened her mouth about to say those very words until he stole them. She was caught off-guard with her mouth agape, but she quickly shut it and recovered.

Kylar shook his head, "Only if it comes down to it, Sona. If he poses a threat to my city, I will deal with him. I'll take his toys away and then go from there. Follow through as you would as a Devil; I mean, don't get involved unless they shoot first."

She wanted to argue. It was clearly written on her face. But she sank back in her seat and said nothing.

"I'll protect you," Kylar added. "You and everyone who enters my city."

She eyed him for a moment. "…Except Kokabiel, right?"

"That depends on what I see in him," he said with a shrug.

Neither he nor Azrael said anything further in regards to Kokabiel. Kylar remembered the Morning Star very well. The archangel of the stars was a fierce deity who wanted to prove his superiority to all three factions. He was one of the lieutenants to the Grigori who led his battalion admirably against impossible odds and won through brutality as much as valor. He would administer tactics the enemy would not have the stomach to use, quite the feat even against the original Devils who were living aspects of all the world's sin and evil.

He reminded Kylar of the original Lantano Garuwashi. Not that Lantano was a cruel-as-fuck bastard. But they both shared a tremendous sense of pride and honor for their people. Lantano had once recommended making a bridge to infiltrate an enemy base and then have that same bridge destroyed once his troops were fully over. He claimed desperate men fight better than those who knew they would have an escape route.

Logan wouldn't permit such a tactic, of course. It didn't stop Lantano from trying a more outrageous strategy, however. While Lantano led his army against the enemy on the front lines, his elite troops snuck for two days behind enemy lines under the cover of darkness against the freeze, limited provisions, and no armor. If a single unit was caught, the whole mission would fail and they would all be dead. His elite knew this and did their utmost to keep hidden. The plan worked in the end.

Kokabiel was of like-mind. Except Kokabiel would sacrifice his soldiers to achieve his goals. Lantano always knew he would lose men, but he would at least tell his men this truth. He would tell them nine out of ten would die and do so with grief. Kokabiel, however, would tell them the same thing but with a smile.

Kylar didn't need to judge the former angel to determine what sort of man he was.

"Is there anything else?" Kylar asked Azrael.

The man gave him an amused look. "Should there be anything else?"

Kylar frowned at the response.

"Lighten up, kid," Azrael crossed his arms, sighed, and leaned back in his chair. Kylar was anything but a kid. But, only Azrael had the rights to call him this. "You've been in a bad mood lately. I hope this isn't a lady problem. I keep telling you—"

"Women will be the death of me," Kylar sassed and waved his hand around. "I know, I know. Gods, I've heard this a thousand times from you!"

"And I'll say it another thousand times," Azrael unfurled his arms and leaned forward. "Kid, whatever you have going on, stop worrying about it. Enjoy it. This little drama, whatever it is, is a lot better than what you were trying to achieve the last few lives. You're not the type who can be alone for a great deal of time, if at all."

Kylar rolled his eyes. He knew all of this. He had heard it from Azrael an innumerable amount of times as far back as the beginning of their union. But Azrael had a point; he spoke through his own experience. He too had a great number of lovers and children and he had to watch them all die as he lived on. Azrael was one of the few beings left on this planet that was older than Kylar; he had been on this boat far longer than Kylar.

It still annoyed the crap out of him to hear the same advice over and over and over and over _and over _throughout the eons.

"You know what's going on," Kylar accused next. His eyes were blunt as he scowled.

"Go for the harem ending," Azrael returned with as serious of an expression any being could have. For one older than time itself, it was something no mortal should ever see. If only, if only, his words could have matched his expression.

Sona made a noise from the back of her throat as she shifted in her seat. She was uncomfortable with this discussion and was seeking a way to excuse herself from the room.

Kylar said nothing, he only gave the old man a dirty look.

Azrael began to count with his fingers, "You got Akeno, that blonde girl, those two Fallen girls you're making me take care of— they're asking for you, by the way— _maybe _Gremory, and, by the looks of things, Sitri here as well. Not to mention every other female on this planet you've met under other aliases."

Another noise was made by Sona; something similar to a squeal and a cough mixed into one. She dared not to look at Kylar. It didn't stop her face from blushing though.

"I'm not having this discussion," Kylar announced. "I made a commitment to Akeno and that's that."

"…Is it now?" Azrael raised a brow. "You're _how old _and still having these problems like a teenager?"

"Then it means I'm doing something right," argued Kylar as he stood from his seat. "Because I'm _supposed _to be a teenager."

"Yes, yes, _and _a womanizer," Azrael said with a smirk. "So… were those rumors _really _rumors?"

Kylar did not dignify that with a response. He left the room.

0-0-0

"Sona, I really don't have time for this," he said as he took his seat across of her. He made sure to take the corner seat to see all his perimeters and to keep his back to the wall. They had met in one of the cafes he owned in the upper district. He didn't need a disguise and so appeared as his normal self.

Sona eyed his casual attire while she was dressed in her Kuoh uniform. "While I am aware you are quite occupied with your duties, I am also aware how big of a gap your schedule contains. You have time. There is something we need to discuss, Garuwashi-san."

No server came to take their orders. Everyone who worked here knew who they were and had been given the gesture to leave them in privacy.

He groaned but didn't argue. "I suppose this is about the whole Logan Gyre thing?"

Sona tilted her head in thought. It took only a moment before she answered. "I had assumed that was because of your inadequacy to fulfill a commitment and your pride to admit mistakes."

He nearly flinched at those words. Leave it up to Sona to know him inside and out and then to find the right spots to stab the nerves. This was another reason why he personally sponsored her apprenticeship within Legion.

"That… Look, Sona, I am sorry about that," he looked her squarely. She deserved this much from him. "I, uh, shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that."

"I accept your apology, though I am not here for that," she nodded. Her eyes remained professional despite the light tint starting to sprout at her cheeks. "I am here as both your steward and as your Student Council President. Garuwashi-san, why have you been skipping school?"

Had she only announced herself as the president he wouldn't have answered and more than likely walked away. However… as his steward? He didn't bestow her such a title but if that's what she wanted to call herself it was appropriate enough. Regardless, it meant she was here both as a representative of Kuoh Academy _and _Legion. But how the hell could those two mix? He made damn sure to keep his public life and his night life separate.

"Does this have to do with Gremory hiding poorly across the room?" his eyes slithered across the café and honed on the red-haired Devil doing her best to look as discreet as possible. She was failing. Horrendously.

"Unfortunately," Sona said neutrally as she tapped her fingertips on the table. Apparently it was a sign, because Rias got up from her seat and began to approach them.

Kylar grimaced. Now he couldn't slip out without it looking like he was intentionally avoiding her. He should have left as soon as possible but Sona— damn her— was crafty enough to catch him by surprise with her wordplay.

"Hello there, Lantano-kun, it's been a while," Rias Gremory greeted with her friendly smile. It shifted immediately into one of coy. "Or do I have the permission to call you _Naitoenjeru-_sama?"

Kylar's eyes shifted coldly, calculating Rias' worth and how much he would lose if he decided to kill her. His eyes then turned towards Sona, wondering if he should kill her too.

"I won't kill you…" he said slowly before either girls could say anything else. "I would lose your brother and your sister. But they can be replaced, at a tremendous cost. Your next words will decide the fate of your entire civilization, Gremory, Sitri. Think _carefully._"

Sona turned green and Kylar watched Rias' face turn ashen white. Her smile dropped. What bravado she normally carried was gone in a flash.

Kylar gestured for her to sit else she would draw unwanted attention. She complied woodenly, her motions almost mechanical.

He began the topic, "How do you know who I am and why shouldn't I kill you?"

Slowly, her charisma began to resurface. "I am not a fool, though by the looks of it you think I am. I never sought to question why Akeno had loved Issei so much but then latched onto you so quickly, and with as much zeal. Issei never really transferred, did he? Sometimes I would have dreams. Akeno on her knees, crying, covered in his blood. I mentioned it once to her and had it had caught her flatfooted. I had thought she was aghast with the idea of her lover like that but now I think those really weren't dreams, were they?

"You did an amazing job matching your story with documentations. I couldn't trace a single lie. But not everything was perfect. There shouldn't have been a reason why Asia was so attached to you. At first I thought it was just a young girl's crush but then…"

She stopped for a moment, trying to find the right way to say her next words.

"I reviewed the conversation you two had the other day."

His heart lurched. He should have known. He never thought to check the Occult Research Club for surveillances because he never thought Lantano Garuwashi would be anything other than a regular student. A low-tier Magician, sure, but normal in every other aspect.

"But what really sealed the deal?" Rias shrugged. "Your comment a few weeks back in the club room. When you pretended to not know we were Devils you called the God of the Bible the 'One God'. Only one other person has ever called Him that and that was when the Night Angel himself paid me a visit one dark night."

"Fine," he admitted his mistake— his fuck up. "But that's only half an answer. Why shouldn't I kill you?"

She started to become a little bolder. "Because I can help you. I can—"

"If you so much as utter the word _peerage _I will kill you right where you sit, in front of all these people."

She shut her mouth. The offer had been on the tip of her tongue. She needed a moment to rethink her strategy.

He didn't need the Ka'Kari to see into Rias' soul. He remembered a time when these creatures would make him go into a frenzy as they were nothing but sin upon sin. They were crystalized evil. But this generation of Devils, however, were the least amount of evil possible. Rias was a girl who loved her family dearly, but she still had the nature of a Devil as sin and evil course through her veins. It was in her base instinct.

Rias was a spoiled girl who was outrageously greedy. She saw she had a chance to include the— arguably— most powerful being in the entire world into her peerage. She could tell herself it would be for a good cause, but in the end she would only be thinking of her own status. The amount of worth her reputation would transcend was unthinkable. She, Rias Gremory, would be the Devil— no, the _being _capable of making the Night Angel bend.

He refused because the Night Angel must always be human, must always be able to love and be loved in return, and must always strive alone. He sided with whatever was just. To side with any one faction would tip the balance of power— impossibly so if he was a slave to the Devils for all eternity.

He had once fought for Truth and Justice on the side of Angels. And then Equality and Freedom for the Fallen. And then Passion and Love for the Devils. But never once had he been bound to a single one faction wholeheartedly. He was a creature bound to the concept of Retribution itself.

He also refused because he didn't like Rias. Oh, she was charming, but among all the Devils he had known throughout the eons she was the most _human _of the species.

And humanity was far more evil than the incarnations of evil itself.

By no means was Rias Gremory evil. But neither was she innocent. She was naïve and oblivious in her greed. She didn't believe her actions would stir up too much trouble. Perhaps some misfortune here and there but nothing more.

Terah Graesin was one such person of parallel greed and power. She would have burned the kingdom of Cenaria to the ground if Kylar hadn't killed her and made Logan the _rightful _king.

"There may be another alternative…" Rias began slowly, her mind grinding for a new plan on the spot. He gave her that much; he admired the way she concocted a plan. He had a mind to have her apprenticed to be the next Mistress of Coin. But that would only be if she could channel the same processing power that came from her greed to everything else she did.

Kylar gestured for her to continue.

Sona watched her friend in the corner of her eye, both curious and frightened for her.

"It… would be beneficial to all parties if… Lantano Garuwashi would take the Gremory Heiress, a High-Class Devil, as his bride."

Sona couldn't hold back the cringe from nearly warping her face. Her hands went to adjust her glasses to hide the reaction and lingered longer than necessary.

"…I'm amazed," he snickered, outright mocking. "I hadn't known such a level of stupidity was possible. Well, Durzo owes me some coin now. He said my record would never be beaten. Dammit all… I was actually starting to take some pride in that trophy. Just the other day I bought this really nice display case for it. See-through panels, elevated to my height, and pretty good lighting. Really makes the platinum shine after a good polishing. Please take good care of it. I've had it for a long time."

"I am not asking for the Night Angel," she said in a low voice. She wasn't afraid any longer. Now, she was determined. "Nor am I asking you to become a Devil. If I marry into the Garuwashi family— and I'm more than sure a man with your talents and resources can make the name surpass that of the Gremory's— everything I am endowed to as the heiress will fall into your control. Deeds, titles, lands, profits, and, especially, my peerage."

This was something he could do. Easily. Laughably. He _could _come up with some bullshit story and records about the Garuwashi family. Hell, he could just copy the original Lantano Garuwashi, pull out the _actual _Blade of Heaven from his vault, and make it so his family were of the most elite and noble of clans. He could even push it a little further, if he so chose. He had the influence to make himself a king even in this day and age.

"I have my own pride and honor, Gremory," he said. "Those things can't be bought. I'm going to have to refuse."

"…I have my own pride too," she said below her breath.

He almost snapped at her. While he admired her tenacity to use him— _him!_— as a means to escape her engagement, he knew better than to think he hurt her feelings with this rejection. She admired him and that was all. He knew her affections would never grow past that point. The words were on his tongue and it would be too easy to destroy her. He held it in.

"They are as much yours as they are mine," she spoke up next. "Don't you think you need to share in the responsibilities?"

He spread his hands before cupping them back over the table. "I saved their lives and delivered them to capable hands. Upon recommendation by your brother, whom I still have this argument with whenever we meet. Are you saying you no longer want them?"

She was horrorstruck by the question. She reeled in her emotions, however. "Never. I am looking for a way for everyone to win. You, me, and them."

At least she admitted she wasn't selfless.

"If I may," Sona spoke up after clearing her throat. "What she is offering is plausible."

"Not you too," he muttered bluntly.

"Please hear me out," she protested. "It is quite common for Magicians, as the role you are assuming, to make contracts with Devils. The contract works both ways; political influence, protection, finances, and knowledge is shared. While something like marriage may be out of the question, I believe a contract like this would be beneficial to everyone. It may even be possible to forge such a contract with the Night Angel himself, if he is willing."

She let it hang in the air for a moment. He didn't react or give away any emotions. He simply continued to stare at her.

She continued calmly, "The contract will not give authority over another being. If either party is in danger, then it is an _obligation _to protect or support them. The Night Angel, no doubt, will do no such thing if the Gremory chose to do anything unjust to warrant such afflictions. And, likewise, the Gremory family will not be at the beck and call should the Night Angel require their services."

He liked how she was no longer trying to be subtle about the contract being with the Night Angel and no longer the Lantano Garuwashi persona.

"It would be a partnership based on what will be written in the contract," she went on. "I'm sure there could be a clause for Rias to keep her purity or something similar and the Night Angel the liberty of courting anyone serving the Gremory family if they are willing. And since it is the Night Angel, that would mean he must be open for further contracts if he is willing. Therefore he could make contracts with multiple other factions, perhaps some other pantheons, or perhaps other Devils."

If this was supposed to be funny he wasn't laughing. She totally just slid in there at the last minute how _other Devils _could be a part of this pact. Such as, oh, the Sitri Heiress.

He nodded, "That would be an interesting idea. I'll present it to Sirzechs and Serafall next time I see them. It sounds more beneficial if I have influence from the top brass instead of two small families of lesser rank."

They both visibly flinched.

He waved a hand in dismissal. "You children forget who you're talking to. I already knew about it. I've had a few of those and know how they work. I'm not interested in the Magician's pact. Especially as a means to escape the problem I started. When I said I have my own pride and honor, I meant this is something I need to deal with on my own. I made a mistake. I am going to deal with it and face the consequences. I don't need you _trying _to take advantage of it."

He was both disgusted and proud of them both. While this was immoral in every sense, he respected them greatly for their reasoning. Both of their evaluations went up. He was beginning of thinking about how to have them work together from now on but instead forced that idea to the back of his mind for now. He could worry about Legion and its affairs for later.

"This is a personal issue and I don't want to talk about it any further," he said with finality. "Look, Rias, Akeno is your best friend. I betrayed her. I get that. But I will deal with that. Feel free to tell her what I've done; I plan on telling her myself. Eventually. I've been avoiding her and Asia so to figure out how to approach this."

Rias blinked in astonishment. "…To think the Night Angel had commitment issues."

"Speaking of which," he grounded out. "What do you plan on doing with Raizer Phenex?"

The question made her face drain of color again. But as quickly as it washed, her face turned red. She scowled, "I won't be marrying him."

He almost laughed. It wasn't truth, it was a _promise. _She didn't have a clue how to get rid of her engagement. He pondered for a moment whether or not he should give her advice. He had multiple ways of solving that problem. But then the girl wouldn't learn anything. She was so damn absorbed in her own greed she needed to fall on her face in order to learn.

He wondered at what point did he become so cynical. He had hated Vi with every fiber of his being when she had ringed him, when those earrings had been meant for he and Elene. And here he was not batting an eyelash for Rias being forced into the same situation.

"I'm sure you won't," he finished dryly.

0-0-0

Mittelt was grumbling under her breath the whole way. That douche-bag Azrael had given her the chore of running down to the convenient store to pick up tonight's dinner. Here she was, a Fallen Angel, an ethereal being crafted by the hands of God and given corporeal form, reduced to fulfilling menial tasks the likes only humans should commit. She hated it; having to cook, clean, launder, garden, and worst of all _going to school. _She was an ancient being nearly a thousand years old! She had taught the mortals long forgotten arts and knew secrets of the universe that would make any scientist blow their brains out with madness.

Azrael said going to school was not for educational purposes. He said it was to teach her humility and for her to learn how to interact with humans. Leave it up to an old fart who had a human wife to come up with such a thing.

She also hated how she had to do all the work. Raynare never pulled her own weight. At first, Mittelt put up with it. The woman had her wings torn off by the Night Angel for the sake of penance. By all means, she was as mortal as any other. Raynare always sulked in her room, rarely came out, and was always in such a bitchy mood whenever approached. After some time, Mitteltt couldn't take it any longer and found an excuse to get out of the house as much as possible.

So while she hated fetching groceries, it was also relieving to get some fresh air. Miss Takahashi, she swore, had the patience of a god… and the wrath of one. There were times when the woman would put her fist down and make Raynare shut up through sheer willpower alone.

"Ooooh! I remember you!"

She nearly stumbled. The bags fell out of her hands as she spun around.

Freed Sellzen lurked out of the shadows of the alley with his trademark sadistic smile. She had thought he had died along with everyone else after the Night Angel sacked the church. There hadn't been any proof of his execution, however, as every Exorcist working for them had been reduced to ash.

"And where have you been, jail bait?" he asked in a playful tone mixed with hunger. It disturbed her how it was both carnal and bloodlust. He wanted to fuck her just as much as he wanted to kill her.

Mittelt refused to be afraid. He may have been one of the more formidable of Exorcists, but Freed was still just human. She knew he wouldn't stand a chance if she got serious.

She brushed a few locks of hair out of her face and answered haughtily, "Sorry, I don't talk to lowly trash. Go away before I puke."

Freed's smile grew as he stepped closer. "Mmm… those eyes. I love the look of murder just as much as I love watching the sunset. It's so tranquil and romantic— letting the light and last hope fade away and all that. But you know what I love most? When they scream. I've recorded a bunch of them and turned them into a mixtape. Wanna hear one?"

She nearly gagged when he pulled out an audio player from his coat pocket. He was serious.

"What do you want, Freed?" she chose to ask instead.

"Oh, what I always want," he began jovially. As he approached further, he was almost dancing in his steps. He even twirled. "To murder the heretics and rape their corpses. Raping them while their alive is just as good, I think, I at least get to hear their screaming. So here I am, making my rounds, killing a few priests and those pesky bounty hunters when I stumble upon one such heretic."

He was just a few feet away from her. Her body began to turn cold. The powers of light began to course through her veins as she prepared for a fight.

He licked his lips. "Been a while since I've fucked a child's body. You mind if I do it without your head attached?"

The spear of light was being thrust before it finished forming. She was faster than any human at their peak condition.

The spear went through him. But there was no sizzling sound of flesh melting or fabrics tearing. His body simply vanished as if he had been nothing but an illusion.

Her eyes shot wide.

She gasped when a sharp pain slashed through her back. A human would have crumbled; she, a Fallen, was able to stay on her feet. But this was by no mistake; Freed knew exactly how deep to cut for the best effect. He wanted her alive for as long as possible.

Mittelt spun and threw another spear without fully looking. It struck at the center of his chest, but— _again!— _his body dispersed into shadows. There was no trace of his presence anywhere.

The next cut tore into her thigh. She didn't try to retaliate this. Her wings tore the back of her dress as she took to the skies. Her plan was to rain spears of light down in every direction until his corpse was seared unrecognizable. The pain of the gash on her back only added fuel to her rage.

She screamed. She could hear his disgusting moan of pleasure. The next cut had cut off her right wing. She fell back to the ground.

He was already on top of her before she could recover. She screamed again as his dirty boot stomped down on the bleeding stub of her ruined wing. The pain froze her in place. She couldn't find it within her to defend herself.

A golden blade was in his hands. A Holy Sword; one that put the radiance of her spears of light to shame. The sword in his grip made him almost not real with how he seemed to be warped by light and shadow alike.

With just the tip of the blade, he cut into the hem of her dress and ran it up to her collar. His sickening smile grew as her skin was exposed. He was going to defile her here in the middle of the street. And in order to keep her from fighting further, he raised his weapon up with the intentions of nailing her through the chest.

A boot struck him in the side of his head with enough force to send him flying.

"Get up, child," Azrael pulled her to her feet and pushed her behind him. "Stay close to me."

Mittelt put a hand around the bleeding stump of her wing. She winced in the pain as she gave it a squeeze in an attempt to clot the blood. Healing magic coursed through her fingers to shut the wound. She grounded her teeth together. "I'll kill him. Do you hear me? I'll kill him!"

"Don't pretend like you're so innocent," he gave a snarky remark.

"What the shit grandpa?" Freed got back up to his feet and rubbed a hand at his jaw. It was swollen and bleeding. The impact should have killed him but a dense layer of protection charms within his clothes kept him from the critical damage. "How the fuck did you even get in here?"

"Fuck you, that's how," he retorted with a cheeky grin. "You're sloppy. Your barrier distracts onlookers from entering but anyone can see a black spot on a white canvas. And my daughter's signature disappeared as soon as you put it up."

Mittelt clicked her tongue. They had an understanding; if she was to desire the protections of the Night Angel then she would have to make herself useful to him. Other than the occasional information gathering, Mittelt was to pretend to be the youngest daughter of the Takahashi family. It annoyed her to no end.

Freed lifted his weapon. He spat blood and resumed to smile. "A'ight. Whatevs. I'm down for a little two-for-one bargain sale. Don't know who you are gramps, but you have some brass to be able to sneak up on me like that. But you should have killed me— _gyak!_"

Freed's body vanished into smoke and shadow after his face gasped.

Azrael had moved. He spun sharply on his right and lashed his hand out into the open air. Strings of light flashed from his fingertips and latched onto something unseen five fifteen feet away.

"You are a thousand years too young to be critiquing me, boy," he said and flexed his hand. The strings tugged tighter until there was a squishing noise and splatter of liquids.

Like a sheet being lifted, Freed appeared after his invisible illusion fell apart. His right hand as well as the golden blade had fallen to the ground; Azrael's strings severing the grip altogether. Three other layers of strings held him in place with his legs bound, his left arm and torso, and his neck. The bindings was more than tight enough to seal his voice. Freed struggled to breathe as much as to break free; but the light weaves were digging into his flesh.

Azrael's eyes were cold. Now that he got a good look he knew who he was. Freed Sellzen, a former Lae'knaught before being kicked out for being too zealous even for the order's standards. He was also the bearer of the Silver Ka'Kari and the one who killed Kylar a few months ago. But unlike the Black, the Silver did not grant the same level of immortality. The Silver only stopped the aging process and made the bearer immune to harm from metal.

But a severed head, however, was a completely different story. Azrael flexed his hand, jerked, and tugged each finger into a closed fist.

The strings snapped as a blade of light cut through them from the sky.

Azrael moved, sweeping Mittelt into his arms as a hail of spears and arrows of light rained down on him. They tore into the ground, creating concussions and sending shrapnel everywhere. But Azrael was a blur, moving swiftly to avoid every attack while creating a magic shield to protect them both from the splashing concrete.

"Freed, Freed, Freed," a suave voice clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Azrael landed thirty feet away from them both as he went through his mental list of precautions. He put Mittelt down and tried to push her behind him. But the girl would not let go of him. Her grip in his arms tightened as she stared fearfully at the man floating above them all.

"Kokabiel," she whispered in fear and awe.

He was as tall as Azrael, dressed in a finely pressed black suit. His skin was ghastly pale as though it had never seen the light of day throughout his entire existence. His hair, in contrast, was black, sleek, and fell down his back. His eyes were bloodshot; the entire sclera turned red while his pupils were as black as a void. He hovered high above them on ten pairs of blackened wings.

There was something over his shoulder. A body.

He smiled with a mouth filled with too many teeth, all razor sharp, as those eyes of his gazed down at Azrael.

"Why, hello there," his voice was charming, almost delighted after a longing being fulfilled. "It has been far too long, _Wingless._"

"Eh, boss? You know this old goat?" Freed uttered as he patted the dirt off his coat and went to fetch his severed hand. He pressed it to his limb; the Silver Ka'Kari transformed his arm into a blade in which sprouted thousands of needles and attached itself to his hand. The hand, in response, turned metal and began to flex. He called back his power, turning metal back into flesh. Both hand and arm were one once again.

Azrael did not drop his guard nor did he respond. His face was as blank as a mask. He only held Mittelt tight; he will have to fight while holding on to her since she was petrified.

Kokabiel began to laugh, "Of course! Azrael, the Archangel of Death. And God's failed project in making his own Night Angel."

Again, Azrael said nothing.

"Oi! An Archangel?!" Freed suddenly dropped his jovialness. He took a few quick steps away. "Hey, uh, boss, that's like a whole tier higher than you."

Kokabiel's toothy grin turned carnivorous. "Fool, he is a failure. He cannot create weapons of light, only pale imitations such as those petty coils. And his talents only go as far as illusions. His wings are purely phantasmal."

"Don't get so full of yourself, Kokabiel," Azrael spoke up with a growl. Under the moonlight piercing through their barrier, strings flickered from existence to invisibility as they swayed in the air. Weaves upon weaves of razor thin wires moved like silk threads, linked to each of his fingers. "Real or not, I'm still acknowledged as an Archangel. _For a reason. _If you come at me, I'll tell you personally why."

There was a dangerous smile spreading on his lips. He was challenging Kokabiel and would show him even with Mittelt in his arms. There was truth in his gaze. Indeed, his power of light was as bleak as a wingless Angel, but the light was still there in him. The lack of prowess had him turn towards cunning instead of raw power and strength. While his kind had always been warriors, while he had been bred to be _the _ultimate warrior, Azrael had molded his entire being into becoming the ultimate hunter. He was more wet-worker than soldier.

Kokabiel knew this. He wouldn't dare give in to the provocation. He chuckled to himself and slung the body off of his shoulder. With a lax wave of his arm, he flung it casually towards Azrael.

Azrael's eyes widened. He moved and caught the body of Irina in his spare hands while maintaining his grip on Mittelt _and _his control over his strings. But no attack came.

Kokabiel announced, spreading his arms wide. "I've grown bored of your games, Wingless. Did you think I wouldn't notice your little ants running around? Did you think I wouldn't notice the extra attention from the lowly servants and prostitutes? I've always known Legion would be here as soon as I heard from Freed it was the Night Angel who destroyed my previous plans here."

Azrael frowned. "So it was you who wanted the Twilight Healing."

"Of course!" he boasted proudly. His eyes shifted towards the shivering Mittelt, who held her protector tighter from his gaze. "It's so hard finding good help these days. They get too attached to their _feelings. _Did you know Azazel sent those four to this city specifically because they all Fell for the Night Angel? Bah! In the end it got them all killed… Well, except for that one.

"No matter. I want you to hear something, Wingless. I have every Fragment of Excalibur the Church had. And I am having my assistant put them all together. Surely you know what this would mean… without the Excalibur Ruler, the most powerful Fragment of them all, no?"

Azrael kept his face a blank. But he knew what it meant. _If _Valper Galilei found a way to put the Fragments back together, their power would grow unstable without the final piece. The energies would clash and eventually erupt in a tremendous explosion. It would take out more than half the city in its blast.

Kokabiel's grin broadened. "Share this news with your precious Night Angel. Only he has the means to defeat me and I shall enjoy our battle. I shall await his arrival at Kuoh Academy. He better hurry. My patience is not to be tested. And if he is too late, then the Gremory and Sitri children will suffer dearly before their deaths."

His wings fluttered. In a flash of black light and torrent of feathers, the Fallen was gone.

Azrael checked his perimeters. The barrier dispersed as soon as Kokabiel had vanished. And Freed was no longer present. Azrael had seen the creep put up another illusion and walk away. He kept tabs on his location until he was outside the bubble; he wouldn't dare try another sneak attack.

"H-He's gone…" he heard Mittelt mutter. They were assurances to herself more than facts.

He managed to get her to release him.

…And then he threw the unconscious body of the Exorcist girl into her arms. She nearly fumbled in his haste.

"Run straight home, do you hear me?" his voice was firm and demanding. "Ruri will heal you and the girl. Tell her to get to the safe house and wait for my return. Now go!"

Her head spun around at his commands. This was the first she ever heard him under such a dominating presence. She had no choice but to comply. She could not fly as half her wing was cut off. But she ran with as much haste as she could in her child's body. It would have been a hilarious spectacle seeing such a small creature carry another twice her size and weight.

Azrael was already moving in the other direction. His Talent was pushing him forward. It allowed him to leap up onto the rooftops and run from there. He would arrive at his destination faster than by street while keeping his presence concealed. The shadows obeyed his command and masked his visage further.

The whole world was a blur as he sped from rooftop to rooftop. The wind bellowed as he cut through it. But he was nowhere near as fast as someone who could fly. Nor was he magically proficient enough to cast a teleportation weave. One would think someone as old as he would learn such a convenient technique.

His phone was to his ear as he ran ferociously. But at this speed he wouldn't arrive at the school until another twenty minutes.

"Come on kid, pick up the fucking phone!"

Twenty minutes was too long. Too much can happen in that time. The entire school could be wiped out by then. Hell, the bomb could go off in that time!

He wouldn't be able to make it in time. Not like this.

Unless…

Where was he? Near downtown. His mind raced for options.

There was a bridge a few miles from here. It would take ten minutes detour to get there. The drop from there into the river was approximately fifty feet, depending on the tides. If he climbed the highest arch and fell from there… applying freefall gravity with acceleration…

…It might work.

0-0-0

Kylar didn't know how much time he wasted just standing in front of the Occult Research Club. He waited an hour after school had ended, and then waited another hour after that for club activities to end. By the time he reached the clubroom, the campus was mostly devoid of life with the exception to a few stragglers who liked to linger for their indifferent reasons and the Devils who used the school as their base. Such as the Occult Research Club, the Student Council, some members of Legion pretending to be students and staff (or actually were), and the miscellaneous.

He stood there, with his arm raised, placed back down, sighing, raised again, and repeating for the next hour. The conversation he wanted to have ran through his mind in a hundred different ways— more than ninety percent of them resulting in a bad end and another nine percent being optimistic. The singular one percent was left open for surprises. But instead of following his principle of never hesitating, he was _hesitating. _And not just for the three hours wasted today. But for a few days.

_~To think the Night Angel has commitment issues,~ _cackled the Ka'Kari, even mimicking Rias Gremory's pitch and tone. _~Here. Let me help you.~_

His raised hand turned black as the Ka'Kari seeped over his skin… and knocked on the wood before he could command it away.

'_Fuck you!' _he cursed with as much venom his thoughts could muster.

Only the sound of childish laughter from the primordial instrument echoed in his head.

He could just turn invisible… _if _he could win that battle against the Ka'Kari, seeing as it was going to be against him at the moment. But at this moment, he couldn't pretend to have not knocked. Because…

"Come in, Lantano-kun~" called Rias from the other side.

…Because Rias already knew it was him. She probably knew he was standing there for so long but never said a word to anyone inside or approached him. She was probably enjoying his dilemma.

He withheld the groan and entered the room with as much dignity as he could. He had made himself a fool for believing she wouldn't notice his presence.

Looking around the room, he noticed everyone was accounted for with the exception of Yuuto Kiba. Koneko was in the middle of nibbling on her sweets, who had stopped to look at him curiously as if he was a giant enigma to her. It wasn't the first time she gave him that look, considering he had no scent for her to pick up. Asia sat beside her, who was doing her best to look anywhere but near him. She failed miserably as she would peak glances in his direction and her face lighting up in both joy and embarrassment.

Akeno was standing at attention with a tray in her hands. She stood in the back of the room but not too far out in the chance her King would need her services. She eyed him disdainfully. It didn't take a genius to figure out she was just as peeved with him as she had been worried. He hadn't been around for the past few days and never sent a word towards her.

His eyes locked on the ring on her ear. He remembered what it was supposed to mean.

Suddenly the ring in his pocket, his matching pair, felt like hot iron on his skin.

Rias was seated elegantly on the larger couch. Her legs were crossed as well as her arms under her chest. Though she looked dignified, there was also a look of annoyance that he had seen very rarely. It was more than the childishness he had seen whenever she didn't gain something from him or had been outsmarted by Sona. This time, it was one step away from being seething.

There was a young man sitting beside her with his arm thrown around her shoulder and keeping her close to him at all times. The hand around her was playing idly with the strands of her crimson hair. He was a few years their senior with wild blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a sharp face. His clothes were formal but donned casually liken to the stereotypical juvenile forced to attend a prestige academy. Even his smile was charming and arrogant synthesized together into one new expression.

The young man eyed cocked a brow at Kylar's entrance.

Kylar paid him little to no mind as he addressed Rias. "I'm sorry to be interrupting something, Rias. But I would like to borrow Akeno…"

He paused to think about something.

"…And perhaps Asia. If it's not too much trouble."

He had seen Akeno felt relieved to have a chance to be out of the room. Rias, however, didn't look pleased to have her Queen taken away. Her expression increased at the request of having another of her Pieces taken. And Akeno's relief warped to one of skepticism, then doubt, and then worry.

He did his best to not look at Asia.

"Now, now, Lantano-kun," Rias leapt out of her seat and approached him in haste. She had found him to be an excuse to get away from the man. A playful smile dressed her but it did not reach her eyes. "If you have something you'd like to discuss you can do so in here. Phenex was just leaving. Oh, where are my manners. Lantano Garuwashi, this is Raizer Phenex, a High-Class Devil of the Phenex Clan. And this Raizer Phenex, is _my _fiancé."

She grabbed Kylar and bundled her arms around his, pressing her breasts against his forearm and squeezing him tight enough. He could feel the desperation resonating within every ounce of her body. Something must have come up to the point where she was no longer thinking rationally. She latched on to him like a lifeline and if she hadn't she would drown. She smiled sweetly at him, and her eyes were begging at him to at least follow through with this until Raizer left.

No one was amused by her attempt.

Kylar sighed and turned towards Raizer, "Hello Raizer. How are your brothers?"

Rias stiffened.

Raizer smirked, leaned back in his seat, and crossed his leg over his knee. "I almost didn't recognize you, Master Jarl. Your skin is usually dark and hair in locks. Always the master of disguise… I do admire this new look of yours, however. My brothers? Oh they're doing just fine. But really, shouldn't you be asking about my sister? She's always asking Father about you. It's all we ever hear from her for the next few days after you visit.

"But if you don't mind…" Raizer lifted a hand and waved it at Kylar and Rias both. "Surely none of this is true, correct? Ravel would be devastated if she heard this was so."

"No, no, good _God _no," he laughed and waved his hand in dejection. Raizer gave a small chuckle as well in return. "I think Rias is just a little nervous, is all. How is Ravel, by the way? I think the last time I saw her she was…"

The two of them went on, discussing matters like old friends.

Rias had unlatched herself from Kylar. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him as though he had betrayed her deeply. Her hands were clutched close to her heart.

He spared a glance to her. It was only a small glance but it told her everything she needed to know.

_You will get no help from me, _his eyes told her.

"Sorry, Raizer," Kylar eventually cut the conversation short. "I'll have to pay a visit when next I'm able to catch up. Right now I have something I need to deal with. If you don't mind…?"

"Not at all," Raizer stood and clasped Kylar's forearm; and Kylar returned the favor. They shook in a single strong grip. "Please, do not let me stop you. I'll make sure to tell Ravel to look forward to your visit. You best not disappoint her, Master Jarl."

Kylar gave a firm nod. There was a bit of edge in Raizer's voice when mentioning his sister. The man loved her dearly, so much so he included her in his peerage. But, _thankfully, _he never touched her. He only looked out for her and respected the girl for her tactical skills.

"But please, if you've the time, return here once your business is complete," Raizer went on with a smirk. "Rias and I were just discussing the arrangements for the reception hall—"

"Raizer Phenex how many times must I tell you…" Rias gritted her teeth as she snapped. Her face was flushed and she was shaking with fury. "I will _never _marry you!"

Raizer sighed. A sigh that spoke of someone who had dealt with a labor a thousand times and would be repeating itself for a thousand more. "Rias, darling, how many times must I tell you there is nothing either of us can do about it? Even if I talked to my father and mother, our marriage has already been decided by both our parents. It is out of my hands."

"Right…" Kylar coughed and scooched away from the both of them. "I'm going to just… let you guys settle this one… alone."

Rias looked at him once more. She was now pleading with him to do something. _Anything. _But he wouldn't be assisting her. This was her burden to deal with and this was her trial to overcome. If he gave her so much as a helping hand, to even advice or a cryptic clue, she would fail her trial. Out of her marriage, sure, but not a respected and useful member of Legion. Her father and brother would be more disappointed in that.

Kylar looked at Akeno and gestured with a nod of his head for her to follow him out of the clubroom. She tilted her head in response but listened. She placed her tray down and moved to follow him. Next, Kylar snapped a finger at Asia— the gesture wasn't needed as he always had her attention— and did the same for her to follow him. She almost jumped to her feet and stepped around the arguing couple.

Koneko looked at him, begging to escape from this drama even if it meant being tossed into the flames of another. He sighed and nodded his head. She gathered her sweets and followed Asia along the long way towards the door.

He felt it crawl on the hairs of his skin before…

"MOVE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs and surged Talent out of his pores. A shield of raw energy circled around him as he moved to the nearest window.

…Right where the first attack was coming from.

The world shook as a barrage laid waste to the Old School building.

0-0-0

His shield of Talent had been costly to both his mystic reserves and his stamina. But it had saved his life as well as those within the room. Demonic shields had been conjured at the alarm in his voice, but they hardly made a difference with the level of firepower put in their assaulter. Kylar took most of the brunt, but even he didn't come out unscathed.

He didn't move at first. He didn't know what he was against, didn't know if moving would trigger another attack, and didn't know exactly how hurt he was. He couldn't be breaking out of the rubble only to find his leg was broken.

He did little twitches with his limbs first; the fingers, the arms, the toes, and then the legs. Everything checked fine. He was sore from taking such a hit that knocked down the walls of the Occult Research Club but everything was manageable.

And then, he closed his eyes and sharpened his senses. He channeled his Talent through his senses to extend his attention. He searched his surroundings through hearing.

"You deflected most of my attack with your body?" came a voice three stories above him. "Impressive. My spear should have destroyed the entire building. And yet only a third of it is gone. What academy did you learn such a potent shield, Magician?"

Kokabiel. He was here. His voice sang with assurance. He knew Kylar was fully conscious even when he didn't move out of his hiding spot.

Kylar kept his breathing down. Kokabiel didn't know he was the Night Angel. He thought he was just a Magician. He remained sprawled under piles of rubble while keeping a surge of Talent through his muscles just in case.

"…Do not play dead with me, Magician."

There was another concussive force near Kylar. It was a few meters away from where he lay but the impact was strong enough to smack him around. More rubble fell on top of him. It would have crushed him if he didn't harden his body with Talent. The pressure was straining. Even with his monstrous reserves it was taking a hefty sum of his stamina to keep the charade up.

He still didn't move.

"Ah," Kokabiel sighed with disappointment. "Perhaps you really are unconscious after all. How droll…"

There was the sound of plaster, wood, and glass shifting followed by a loud thump. He heard the faintest sound of a clicking tongue. It was a universal gesture that most people did even when they didn't notice. But it was the specific way, so miniscule in difference to the countless others who did it similarly, that he was able to pick up who it was first climbing out of the wreckage.

"K-Koneko-chan, you're hurt."

…Or he could have just waited until Asia announced to the world who it was.

There was an even louder boom near him. It didn't contain the same signature as Kokabiel's concussion of divine proportions. He recognized it immediately as his psychotic girlfriend. She unleashed a force of raw demonic energy to blast her way free.

"KYLAR!" she shouted at the top of her lungs in a near-hysteria. She had seen him dash straight for the window where the spear of light was coming for them. She had seen him leap in front of it and use his body as a shield to cushion most of the impact. She knew he was human. It might have been possible, to her, he was dead.

He silently apologized to her as he continued to play dead. He couldn't afford to give away his position.

"There's three…" Kokabiel muttered with satisfaction. "Now, where is the final piece of this set…?"

Kylar heard the crackling of wall as though hundreds of years' worth of rot and abuse fell upon them in a single instance. He recognized this phenomenon as Rias' Power of Destruction. She too unearthed herself.

He also felt intense heat swirl in the general area. The flames of a Phoenix came to mind.

"You!" snarled Raizer with utmost outrage. "How _dare _you assault my fiancée!"

…At least the guy had his priorities, as lopsided as they were.

No one ever thinks to run away from the Big Bad Wolf these days. They just think they can intimidate it with loud noises. Oh, sure, go ahead and poke that really sharp stick at the Fallen blessed with the power of light. There's no way that won't wind up bad against the likes of a Devil.

_~You know,~ _the Ka'Kari commented with extra dryness today, _~you could have used me to stop that attack. But nooooo. You're too worried about your secret getting out. Even when half of the people here already know about it.~_

'_Noted! Now keep quiet while I think.'_

Surprisingly, the Ka'Kari actually listened to him.

He could visualize Kokabiel throwing his head back as he laughed, "Now this was unexpected! A spawn of Phenex? This should prove to be amusing. I suppose your death will further the flames of war."

The flames of war?

"Come children," Kokabiel said with delight. "Entertain me. Scream in agony as you struggle for your lives! Cry out in despair so the Night Angel may hear your wallowing!"

He snapped a finger. It echoed as loud as thunder.

"CERBERUS!" Rias cried out as the buzzing and whining noise of summoning magic rang in the air. The feral growling of beasts not seen in the mortal realm in centuries came after. It was more than one mythical beast. Kylar heard the distinct acoustics of a second beast relatively close to the first.

"Scatter!" Rias ordered.

There was a sound of chaos as plaster and wood shattered, granite and cobblestone crumbled, and the whirling screams of air being cut by flight and magic. He heard the crossfire of demonic energies combined with the elements colliding against the savage barks and howls of the guardians of the Underworld.

He knew he couldn't do anything just yet. Kokabiel was floating above them. He was watching them struggle. He would have noticed Kylar disappear instantly if he made the Ka'Kari turn him invisible. His one advantage to this situation had become his one weakness. If he moved, he would reveal himself. Kokabiel might attack him again and this time put more energy to devastate the area.

Right now the Fallen Cadre was entertained. It would have to do.

Plus, he felt like he didn't need to intervene in this battle. The Occult Research Club was more than enough to deal with a few dogs.

He listened to the song of the battle around him. He listened to the drums of explosions, the winds of spells clashing, the chimes of bone breaking, and the trumpets of their vocalized emotions. Within his mind's eye he could play out the entire bout.

"Hoh…?" he heard Kokabiel shift. He was… sitting on something? Something so high above ground?

The next sound being heard was the magic of more summoning circles. Multiples of them. His skin tingled with the sensations and he recognized the energy signature.

Reinforcements had arrived. They were the peerage members of Raizer Phenex.

"Dispatch these beasts!" Raizer roared with the voice of a King whose lands had been scorched by invaders. "Search the ruins! Master Jarl remains within! Go! We will watch your backs!"

"M-Master Jarl?!" he heard the high-pitched gasp of Ravel Phenex, Raizer's younger sister.

The orchestra changed as more players took to the field. There was the pounding of fists like hammers, the slashing of steel, and the ravenous rupture of explosions.

"Here!" he heard the voice of Mihae, Raizer's Bishop beside Ravel. She used a detection charm to locate him.

"Stand back!" Isabella, one of his Rooks, lifted the wreckage off of him.

It wasn't her gloved hands that came to his side. It was the smell of perfume that gave away her identity.

Ravel Phenex knelt down and tenderly examined his injuries. He could almost feel the amount of tension her body withheld as soon as she saw him. Probably because he had lowered his breathing to the point he could have been dead unless closer inspected. She fidgeted and lowered her head close to his face to check if he was breathing.

"I'm playing dead," he whispered softly into her ear. She twitched, almost jerking away in surprise. "Unconscious. Play along."

"He's still alive!" she announced, immediately following his lead. "Quick, Isabela, help me carry him out."

He expected her to heft him over her shoulder. But Isabela was surprisingly gentle. She lifted his body with minimal effort and slung one of his arms around her shoulder. Another girl— Shuriya, a Pawn, based on her height while his eyes remained closed— took the other arm. They half-dragged him out of the wreckage and quickly away from the battle.

Only then, when he knew his back was turned from Kokabiel, did he open his eyes.

"Ah~" he heard Kokabiel call out with surprise and mild amusement. "You were faking your inability. Masterfully, at that. I almost suspected you were on the verge of death, Magician."

Kylar swore aloud and stood on his own feet. His breathing had remained the same. His body had been completely limp. The _only _difference he made had been opening his eyes. And yet Kokabiel had been able to read such a miniscule shift even without seeing them directly.

"Kylar…" Akeno sighed with heavy relief.

"Lan-kun…" as did Asia.

Both had lowered their guard. Most of the battle had been suppressed as Raizer's peerage took control. The two Cerberi had been subdued and on the verge of defeat. Normally, both the Queen and Bishop would be able to afford this moment to breathe.

But Kokabiel was still present. He sat on a throne floating over their heads. His legs were crossed with one cheek resting in his hand propped at the elbow. His wicked smile grew as he took in their reactions.

A third summoning circle directly from the gates of the Underworld opened. It shined right behind the Queen and Bishop.

Time all but stopped as Kylar's Talent flared through his body. He nearly knocked Raizer's Pawn and Rook down as he turned and rushed for them. The ground beneath his feet cratered as his Talent propelled him forward.

He saw them spin around just in time for three maws of another Cerberus rise out to attack them. Lightning crackled at Akeno's fingertips but she was too late. The beast was upon her faster than she would be able to lift her hand.

Kylar was only halfway to her.

There was a flash as another summoning circle appeared in midair to the side. When the light hit its crescendo did Yuuto Kiba burst out of it. His face was as hard as steel and eyes as sharp as a blade. He came out of the circle with a purpose. He had a blade in his hand and already in motion to intercept.

He lodged off the head that would have taken Akeno's life.

Akeno finished her spell half a second later. Lightning pierced a hole through the dog's hide from its front shoulder and out through the tail.

And Kylar never stopped running. A second later and he slammed his shoulder into the chest of the beast. He crashed into it the same way a cannonball would demolish a brick wall. There was a roar of thunder as bones shattered and organs ruptured. The beast was thrown back, dead before its body hit the ground and fumbled limply.

"Marvelous," Kokabiel clapped his hands, expecting an encore. "This generation has promise! I've not seen the strength in low-born Devils since the climax of the Great War! The Cerberus is no beast easy to fall!"

Nobody moved against him. They all stared up at him with anticipation. They were hesitant to act until he did.

Akeno moved close to Kylar without looking away from the Fallen Angel. She might not have been aware of her actions. She could have done it subconsciously, full of the need to be close to him.

He felt Asia's hands clutch onto the back of his shirt. She was shaking. He couldn't tell if she was terrified because of Kokabiel or for his own sake. Or a combination of both, knowing her.

"This is a direct violation of the armistice!" Rias shouted up to the Fallen Angel. "What purpose could you have to attack the overseer of Devil territory?"

Kokabiel put his face back in his hand as he eyed her. "The Heiress of the Gremory Clan… The Crimson Ruin Princess. I will give you but one chance. Draw up all your forces. Summon all your power. Hit me with your best shot! And, maybe then, I will tell you what purpose this—"

Kokabiel's expression shifted as he noticed something. He had watched Kylar.

Because Kylar had spotted something else in the sky. It was a blackness darker than the night sky. It was like watching a fly zip around that was more of an annoyance despite the situation. His eyes flicked around to follow its movements.

Kokabiel turned his head slightly aside, stretching his senses in search of whatever had gained Kylar's attention.

…The look on his face afterwards was priceless.

The throne shattered as a humanoid meteor slammed into its back and continued to drive forward. Kokabiel's head snapped back in the whiplash as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, tackling him at literal break-neck speed. The meteor took him over their heads and then abruptly stopped… but not before letting go of the Fallen Angel and throwing him into the gymnasium.

Kokabiel's body tore through the chunk of brick and cement.

"Wingless my ass," said Azrael with a sneer. He flexed the giant mass of leathery wings in such a way to have him drop to the ground. He landed not too far away from the group.

They all watched with diverse discomfort as those wings sank back into his body and reshaped his mass. Azrael had used his Talent to shapeshift; using the muscle, fat, and bone he could spare to grow wings five feet in diameter and was now returning that mass where it belonged.

"What took you so long?" Kylar was the only one capable of speech.

"Go to hell!" Azrael spun on his heels and snapped at him. "Where the fuck was your phone?! I was trying to call you ever since I took flight!"

"On silent," Kylar shrugged. "Didn't want anything to interrupt me. But… seems kinda moot after…"

He eyed the giant hole in the side of the gymnasium.

"Damn kids are always on your phones except when needed," Azrael grumbled while rubbing at one of his brows. "Like when the parents call, or a job opportunity, or as an alarm clock, or when you're about to get attacked by a Cadre-level Fallen! You're getting rusty, kid. I keep telling you that but you don't listen!"

"A friend of yours… Lantano-kun?" asked Rias.

"No," both he and Azrael snapped immediately.

Any other witty remark was cut off when a pillar of light erupted from the center of the gymnasium, devastating it and some of the space around it. A gale of biting wind whipped around them as debris from the building and the surrounding forest were flung everywhere. Shields were erected by every Devil present.

Azrael was not so fortunate. He took a piece of bark to the face. It made him stumble back more out of surprise and annoyance than pain.

"Wingless," the voice of Kokabiel was searing with boiling rage. "What a dirty trick you used. How dare you treat me like a fool? How dare you strike at my back?! Coward! But that's to be expected from the likes of—"

"_I'm _getting rusty?" Kylar cut him off as he faced Azrael. He put his hands to his chest with a heavy look of disbelief. "The old you would have killed him. You're the one who taught me to never miss an opportunity. So _who's _the one getting rusty?"

"Kiri-kun…" Akeno grabbed his elbow and gave it a good squeeze. "Maybe you shouldn't annoy the Fallen Angel capable of killing us all."

They chanced a glimpse at Kokabiel. The Cadre's face had washed away into complete serenity. His anger had reached a point of inhuman proportions. It couldn't be measured or expressed by human perspective.

"You should get out of here," Kylar said in a low voice. He shrugged his arm free. "We'll deal with him."

"But… what if you get hurt?" Asia asked at his back.

"I'll get hurt if you stick around," he said with a cynical smile. "I can't face him and protect you at the same time."

"…Is there really nothing we can do?" Rias asked after hearing him. "I am the overseer of this city. It's my duty to protect it. Is there nothing we can do to assist you?"

He only needed half a second to think about it. He turned his head so she could see the corner of his face, all without taking his eyes off of Kokabiel.

"You'll only get in my way. Raizer, get them out of here. The old man and I will take care of this. And someone please get a hold of Sirzechs…"

"Yes, Master Jarl," Raizer said with a bit of relief in his tone. For all his bravado, he was more than knowledgeable he and his peerage didn't stand a chance against the likes of a Cadre Fallen.

"Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, OI!" a voice called out from seemingly nowhere. "What the shit is this?! So many disgusting Devil babes and no one invited me to the party?! I'm hurt by all of you."

A veil of reality was torn down. Stepping out of nothingness was a young man with gray hair in the black cloak of an Exorcist. From the voice alone Kylar had been able to recognize him.

He was the bearer of the Silver Ka'Kari. He was someone who had managed to surprise the Night Angel and take one of his lives.

"Freed Sellzen," snarled Kiba with utmost animosity.

Freed had in his hand a golden sword brimming with chaotic energies. It was full of divine might and magic that was going out of control. Tendrils of golden light arched around it like solar flares. The air hissed and space vibrated around it. It was pulsing with too much power without a stabilizer.

"Oh yeah," Azrael said as though he had forgotten something. "That's a thing. Kokabiel plans on using that sword as a bomb. It's made from all the Excalibur Fragments he stole. It's going to take out most of the city."

"…What?" it was Rias who said with alarm.

"Fun," Kylar groaned. "Can you deal with Kokabiel?"

"Who do you think I am?" Azrael responded with a growl of insult.

"Freed," Kokabiel called out as he began to roll up the sleeves of his suit. He was going to get serious now that Azrael was going to interfere with his plans. "Kill them all. Start with the Magician."

"Sure thing, boss!" Freed hefted the sword and gave a salute.

And then, he was just gone. The illusionary works of Excalibur Transparency turned him invisible. But it didn't do anything against his surroundings. When he moved forward, he had kicked up the dust the battle had already created.

He was using Excalibur Rapidly to amplify his speed mixed in with…

"HE'S TALENTED!" Kylar shouted as he moved forward to intercept.

More than half of the group understood what it meant. Raizer and his peerage for sure. Akeno did as well. But everyone else almost drew in a blank or looked at him as though he was crazy. They probably thought he had shrieked to the world that Freed had some skill. Not _Talented _with the capital 'T'.

He could feel the pressure of the makeshift Excalibur sword draw in close. The Black Ka'Kari shifted through his body and he was about to call it out as a dagger to meet with the first swing.

Kiba beat him to it. The Knight of Gremory had rushed forward with his superior speed and threw himself at Freed first. Sparks lit up as his demonic sword skidded along the edge of his false Excalibur. He had been able to read the flow of Freed's movements based on air pressure and instinct alone. He deflected three blows before his demonic sword shattered.

"Ha!" cackled Freed. "This is awesome! So very awesome! Your demonic garbage doesn't stand a chance against my Excalibuuuuuur~"

"Then how about this?!" Kylar roared as he charged forward.

His Talent flared through his body, making his skin glow with ethereal light on par with the Excalibur. Even with the properties of Excalibur Rapidly, Freed barely had a chance to shift his guard over to block Kylar's charge. Kylar had fired off like a rocket and slammed into him.

He had a black blade forged from the Black Ka'Kari in his grip. It bit into the Excalibur, sinking half an inch into the blade and devouring its holy light.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Freed shrieked in a panic and drew away from Kylar. "What the shit is this?! How are you doing that?! That… hey wait a minute now… That blade. I've seen it before. You're not some new wielder either. Those murderous eyes; I feel like I've seen them before. I know you, don't I?"

Kylar kept quiet. The Black Ka'kari had taken a fair portion out of the Excalibur but it was nowhere near enough to stop it from exploding. From the way it was pulsing… he'd have to get rid of the blade entirely. Or he could have his Ka'kari drink the energies and reduce the blast to a minimum. Maybe wreck the schoolyard at most rather than the entire city.

_~Whatever works best for you. Just don't drop your guard like last time. He recognizes you.~_

"Get out of here!" Kylar barked when no one else was moving.

"Absolutely not," Kiba bit back. He created another demonic sword and readied himself. His eyes were flaring with hatred at the Excalibur. "I will destroy that blade no matter what."

"Kiba!" shouted Rias. "You're coming with us! That's an order from your King!"

His grimace twitched. He didn't bother looking at Rias. "I'm sorry, Buchou. But that's an order I can't accept."

"Raizer!" Kylar turned to the elder Phenex. "Get her out of here!"

The man looked conflicted. He exchanged glances between Kylar and Rias. Eventually, he shook his head, "If she stays, then I will stay to support her. She is my fiancée and will not leave her alone."

"I don't plan on leaving without my Knight," Rias protested defiantly.

Goddamn stupid teenage _brats_!

"Then take him," Kylar snarled in frustration.

Kiba turned just enough in alarm to see Kylar's fist drive into his left temple. The Knight stumbled half-consciously and it took a second hit from Kylar to get him out. The demonic sword crumbled apart into raw energy as Kiba collapsed. Kylar caught him and shoved his body towards the group.

Koneko was the one to catch him. She looked up at him with mixed feelings of appreciation and disapproval.

"Thank you, Lan-kun," Rias said with a heavy sigh of relief. Her eyes remained hardened, "I'm going to entrust this to you then. Be sure to make them pay."

"Scout's honor," he replied with a three-fingered salute.

"Now we leave," Raizer announced and snapped a finger.

His Bishops and a few Pawns were already working on the mass-teleportation circle. It was a generic model that would take everyone within its confides to a distant location. It took a few short seconds for it to gather enough energy to take everyone away. There was a brief flash before they vanished.

He almost felt hurt. His girlfriend didn't tell him bye. But she fully believed in him. There wasn't a need for any distractions like a worrying look.

Now it was Kylar and Azrael against Freed and Kokabiel.

"I _do _know you," Freed said suddenly. He snapped a finger and pointed at Kylar. "Yeah, I didn't get it at first but yeah I totally remember you now. Your thingy makes you just as immortal as me, yeah? But I coulda sworn dicing up your head would'a done the trick. I wonder then… would cutting your whole body to chunks work? Should I burn them and spread the ashes? Ooo… this is making me _frisky._"

"Freed Sellzen," Kylar growled as he readjusted his grip on the Ka'Kari blade. He had never lowered his guard against the former Exorcist nor had he looked away. The blade was always positioned to attack or defend. "How did you get in possession of the Silver Ka'Kari?"

Freed's eyes flashed with glee, "Is that what it's called?! Well, ain't you a smart fella! Yeah, see, this thing has been in my family for generations. My pa got it from his pa and the pa before that and so on. It's the last treasure of the Sellzen name. It just so happens I'm the only one able to use it. Makes me sorta special, don'tcha think?"

There were a total of seven Ka'Kari. Six made by Ezra based on Kylar's Black Ka'Kari. Most of them had been retrieved by him with the exception of three. The Red Ka'Kari was floating somewhere in the mantel of the Earth. The Blue was lost in the Bermuda Triangle. And the Silver had been lost through unknown means.

Freed's family held onto it. It was possible. Very possible. The Ka'Kari could have easily been seen as regal jewels. Suppose someone from the family _did _know what it did but didn't trust the heir to know what it did. He could have handed it off to a friend or just tell the heir some bogus story. Say, it could have been a gift of a king or something ludicrous. And over the generations, the story might change.

In this day and age, where Talent was nigh existent, there was no way to tell when a shiny rock was really something special. Even the mages of today couldn't tell if the Ka'Kari had magic potential. Talent was just too unique compared to the magical schools and signatures exchanged today.

But all it would take is one child under the right conditions to pick up the Ka'Kari and bond with it. A one in a millionth chance, but still possible.

Freed was one such person, conveniently born into the family that held this treasure, had picked it up, and had gained a reaction out of it.

The six forgeries made by Ezra granted their wielders immortality… to a certain extent. It allowed them to live forever if no lethal harm came their way. And, depending on which of the six Ka'Kari they were branded with, they were invincible to certain means of death. Freed's Silver Ka'Kari granted him invincibility against metal, just as his Ka'Kari granted him manipulation over metal.

But Kylar's was the original. It was the more potent one with the other six being pale imitations. Not even Ezra as he was now as Great Red could fully understand its mysteries. The Black Ka'Kari, the Devourer, could eat away at anything. Kylar never remained dead when he was killed. He would be back.

And, he could devour mass and energy.

"I only have one thing to ask you," Kylar said in a firm voice. "Do you regret?"

"What an odd thing to ask," Freed replied with his twisted smile. "Regret? Regret is for pussies. I love my job too much to regret anything. Maybe, if anything, letting those succulent Devils go while I tried to remember who you were, Hyoudou-san. Oh, wait, that would make me a pussy then, wouldn't it? I take it back. I regret nothing. Eh, I'll be raping and killing them when this is over anyways. I regret nothing!"

"Then I judge you, FREED SELLZEN!"

Kylar roared out as he brought the Ka'Kari to his eyes. Blue flames burned out of his sockets without damaging his vision. He could see Freed as clearly as he would in the day. And more. He was peering into Freed's soul, reading every list of sin the man had accumulated. He was guiltless of doing anything but that didn't make him sinless. He had performed evil, knowing it was evil, but believing it was virtuous.

**"Murderer," **Kylar announced as he charged at Freed. The blade of the Black Ka'Kari bashed against the Excalibur, biting into the alchemic metal. **"Thief! Rapist! Heretic!"**

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" Freed stumbled back as every strike tore away larger chunks of his sword. "What're you doing?! That's my Excali-chan! How are you breaking it apart?! Is that what yours does?! No fair! Mine doesn't let me eat magical energies!"

**"SINNER!" **Kylar roared as he brought his blade around once more in a swing powered by his Talent.

Freed was Talented and knew how to use it. He had gained immeasurable sums of Talent from the Silver Ka'Kari. But it was nowhere near the amount accumulated by the Black nor from Kylar's ageless experiences. Freed had the power to match against the lower and middle tier monsters of the moonlit world. That didn't mean he had a chance against the heavy hitters.

Such as the Night Angel.

Kylar's Talent exploded out of his arms at the last swing. The blade smashed into the Excalibur and cut it in two. The top half of the blade lit up like the first rays of dawn.

And then everything became white as it exploded.

The Black Ka'Kari rushed through Kylar, covering the entirety of his body as soon as the explosion went off. It would have knocked him, it would have peeled back his skin, and it would have killed him hadn't the Black been there to save him. His body was a mass of black metal that drank in the explosion— the kinetic and magical force plus the radioactive residue created by the holy radiance. The Ka'Kari drank all of it and spared him from dying.

When the light faded, only a withered hilt remained on the ground. The ground was ripped asunder by the detonation. The Black Ka'Kari had devoured most of the energies before the blast could reach critical mass. The city was saved.

There wasn't any remains of Freed to mourn over.

"KYLAR!" Azrael shouted.

Kylar spun and brought his hand up. He noticed only briefly at how his fingers were glowing like individual stars, swirling with energies wrought by the Excalibur's explosion. That energy was the residue the Ka'Kari couldn't devour. After all, there was only so much a person could eat in one sitting. All the rest was leftover and it made his body shimmer.

The spear of light Kokabiel had flung at him crashed into his palm. There was a shock from the impact, but it didn't pierce his metallic skin. He remained standing on his feet. His hand closed around the spear, crushing it before it could detonate. The spear of light turned into dust by his crushing grip.

"Magician…" purred Kokabiel with a wide smile and large eyes. "What amazement! How amazing! I should have guessed through your trickery. Through such marvelous deception! You were the Night Angel all along! I would have never guessed! Such is the nature of the Night Angel itself!"

Azrael was panting. His suit was crinkled with a few tears. There were a few bruises on his face and his fingers were bleeding from using his strings of light too much.

Kokabiel hardly looked winded. Other than a few cuts and reddened streaks where Azrael's strings had landed, he looked none the worse for wear.

**"Kokabiel," **Kylar spoke in the echoing voice of the Night Angel. The metallic skin flexed and molded itself into the visage of Retribution. **"I judge you."**

"And what is it that you find within me, Night Angel?" Kokabiel cackled as he disregarded Azrael.

Kylar… couldn't find anything. The man was a Fallen Angel. By definition he was a creature of sin. He had disobeyed the Word of the One God and fallen to the mortal planes. He had given himself to sin and chose a life of debauchery.

But… his only sin was following a man he looked up to, Azazel, and teaching the mortals about constellations. Kokabiel gave humanity the wisdom of the stars.

Kokabiel… was innocent.

He had killed, but never murdered. He had fought in the Great War, had killed his brothers and sisters, but never once stained his soul of evil. Never. His methods were cruel, vicious, callous, heartless, and malignant, but not _evil._

Earlier in the week, Kylar had compared him to the real Lantano Garuwashi. It had been something of a joke. And he had said Garuwashi was still the better man.

But… Kokabiel was _sinless._

Kylar _couldn't _judge him. Not as the Night Angel. Not as the face of Retribution. He could not bestow upon him Justice, Mercy, or Vengeance. The Justice would be to allow Kokabiel to walk away. There was nothing to forgive with Mercy. And there was nothing to avenge through Vengeance.

Threatening to destroy the city through the Excalibur…? Even then. There wasn't a stain in Kokabiel's soul.

…Because he would have stopped the blast from happening. He wouldn't have allowed humanity to die. Not he, who had nurtured humanity since the dawn of creation. The Devils and Angels he would gladly crush under his boot. But never humanity.

Kylar read all of this within Kokabiel's core. His wings may have been blackened from the Fall… but his soul was still as pure as an Angel's.

Kokabiel's smile widened. He knew all this. "What is wrong, Night Angel? Will you not judge me? Will you not give me a warrior's death? Will you not stop me from starting another Great War and killing millions?!"

Rage boiled through Kylar. He wanted to kill Kokabiel. He had killed greater men for less. But that was as Kylar Drake, as a wetboy. Not as the Night Angel. Under the guise of the Night Angel, he couldn't touch Kokabiel.

**"Millions will die," **he tried instead to reason, **"including the innocent. Will you allow them to perish out of your pride, Star of God?"**

Sin. Sin! Fuck, Kokabiel, sin!

Kylar screamed inside his head. He needed just _one _taint. Just a drop of blood in this vast ocean. Just enough taint to remove Kokabiel from existence.

Kokabiel almost looked sad, "Not today. Perhaps one day. But not now. Not when the Gremory and Sitri Heirs are away. Not when the sisters of the Devil Kings are out of my reach. But that day has been promised. You, Night Angel, have destroyed six of the Excalibur Fragments. Heaven and its Church will surely wage war against the Fallen for this. I thank you for this."

"KYLAR!" Azrael croaked. "Kill him! Do it now!"

He knew he couldn't do it. Azrael knew the burdens of being the Night Angel. He knew better than the One God Himself.

He couldn't stop sin from happening. He could only punish it.

He would have to let the war start before he could do anything about it.

Such was what it meant to be the Night Angel.

The three faces; Justice, Mercy, and Vengeance— they could only appear at the presence of sin. He was the one who guarded from the light from the shadows. He was the avenger of the damned and the protector of law.

But he wasn't a shield. He was a sword.

"I was hoping for something… more," Kokabiel said as he gripped the hem of his suit. He pulled it tighter around himself. "But now I know your identity. Now I know how to find you. I know how to hurt you, Night Angel."

**"Hurt any of them and you will answer to me!" **Kylar snarled.

Kokabiel could only laugh at that. His wings flexed, folded over himself…

And he was gone in a flash of white light.

0-0-0

She stopped moving. Her head turned towards the east.

The snow didn't bother her. She remained frozen with ageless eyes scanning the horizon. The snow pelted her, covering her in a blanket of white. She remained where she stood until it covered her entirely.

The smallest of twitches had the snow falling off.

"There you are," Ophis whispered.

She had felt it. Rather, she had felt the nothingness only the likes of the Night Angel could create. She had felt the void in his presence. She had felt a disturbance of power— horrendously insignificant compared to the weavings of nature constantly ruling over the world— but had also felt the gap between them. It was a blank spot. It was pure nothingness. It was open space.

The only one who could create such a gap was she… and the Night Angel.

She was close. So very close. Now she knew where he was. He was in the archipelago that was Japan.

"I, am coming for you. My… Azoth…"

0-0-0

"And you let him escape?" Rias asked, almost demanded. She was one step from doing so. The only reason she kept her anger in check was because of _who _she was addressing.

"I did," Kylar replied without hesitation.

They met in one of the safehouses of Legion. It was where Raizer had told his Pieces to send them all. An hour after the battle did Kylar and Azrael meet up with them. They gave a briefing of the situation. Kylar was alone now with Rias, Raizer, and their peerages while Azrael dismissed himself to give orders to other members of Legion.

"Why?" Rias was burning. "How could you let a monster like that go?"

"Rias…" Akeno tried to get her to reel back.

"She doesn't understand," Kylar interjected. "There are… rules. Rules that even I have to follow. I am the avatar of Retribution. I uphold the law. Holding a person against their will is illegal, no matter how you look at it."

"He was going to destroy the entire city!" Rias burst out.

"No, he wasn't," he shook his head. "It was a ruse. His goal is to trigger another Great War. He feels… disappointed. He wants to prove the Fallen are the best out of the three Biblical Factions. There was nothing within him I could see that stained his heart. There was nothing I could do."

"Rias, try to understand where Master Jarl—" Raizer tried to calm his fiancée.

"Don't touch me," Rias shirked away from him as soon as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Garuwashi, do you understand that monster was going to kill my servants? And you can look at me in the eye and tell me there was _nothing _you could do about that? Threatening the lives of others doesn't qualify for the Night Angel to take action?!"

"No," he answered bluntly. "Threats are nothing but words. Actions speak louder. I can't do anything unless actions were made. Unless the sin is made."

It was both true and false. As Kylar Drake, he could kill Kokabiel whenever he wanted. But if he appeared as the Night Angel, there was nothing he could do. It was the same when facing the real Lantano Garuwashi. He couldn't bear to kill the man even when the man wanted to start a campaign that would have killed thousands of lives. Lantano Gaurwashi was entirely sinless. He was a proud warrior who lived through a code of honor.

Everything screamed Kokabiel was a monster. Even Kylar thought so. But, according to the law the Black Ka'Kari followed, he wasn't a monster. He was a man with hopes and dreams. He was a man of virtue, of honor, of discipline. Nothing he did was evil. Twisted and corrupt, maybe, but never evil.

"He will be back," Rias said, folding her arms under her chest and glaring at him.

"I'm not leaving," Kylar said back to her. "We've sent word to your brother and the Leviathan. We've spread the word of other members of the Order. Kokabiel is at large. Even Azazel will keep an eye out for him. Now, I would like to have that word with your Queen and Bishop if you would be so kind."

"Just… go," Rias sighed and waved a hand in dismissal. She was tired. Agitated and on edge, but tired most of all. It was her first crisis as the overseer. Someone beyond her expectancy had appeared and threatened to destroy everything she ruled over. And that person was able to walk away. She wasn't angry at him. She was taking it out on him but she was more angry at herself. He could forgive her for this much.

He cocked his head to the side in a gesture for Asia and Akeno to follow him.

He led them down the hallway and into one of the spare rooms. It was one of the spare apartment rooms that held a cot and a few essentials. Members of Legion who needed a place to stay could hole up here depending on their missions. He could use it for a quiet meeting between these two. Hell, he owned the building. By thunder if someone told him otherwise.

"Are you two okay?" he asked as soon as Akeno shut the door behind her.

"A little shaken…" Asia answered immediately. She looked frightened despite the danger being away for now. And then she grew flustered, "B-But, Ise-kun— I mean… Kylar. Are you okay? You weren't hurt, were you?"

He gave her a small smile. He noticed immediately Akeno's lips thinned.

"I'm fine," he told Asia anyways. "You won't have to worry about Freed anymore. He's been taken care of."

"…Oh," Asia nodded in acceptance. Sad acceptance. She wasn't sad about Freed dying. She was more sad Kylar had taken his life.

"Akeno?" he asked next. "Are you okay?"

"If…" she paused to choose her words carefully. She entered the room but kept her distance from him and Asia. "If you are asking if I am hurt, I am fine. Untouched, really. But am I fine? No, Kylar, I don't think I am."

She looked up at him. Her stance was guarded and her eyes were burning. She was beyond angry at him.

"You don't call," she began in a quiet voice that made him try to listen. "You don't go home. You don't go to school. You don't leave a message. And Officer Takahashi tells me nothing. I understand your duties as the Night Angel, Kylar. And I understand if you can't tell me somethings. But I'm beginning to feel you don't trust me enough to tell me when you're going."

The hurt in her eyes made him want to look away. He didn't. He kept his eyes locked on hers. However, he struggled to find the right words to calm her. Everything to come to mind couldn't be said by his tongue. Because it was nothing but excuses and lies. He was in a relationship with Akeno. She deserved better.

But he also couldn't bear to tell her the truth. He couldn't tell her _why _he had been avoiding her. Why he was so ashamed to confront her about this. Even now, alone with no way to escape.

_~To think the Night Angel has commitment issues…~_

"Oh shut up!" he snapped out loud.

Akeno's eyes flared into something maddening.

"No, not you!" he put up a hand quickly. "The Ka'Kari. It told me— Never mind. Look, Akeno, you deserve an explanation."

"I would certainly hope so. But does your explanation have something to do with Argento-san being here?"

Asia fidgeted where she stood. She looked up at Kylar with nothing but concern in her eyes.

Kylar desperately wanted to find a hole and stick his head under it until all the problems went away. But if that didn't work for ostriches, it wasn't going to work here. If it didn't work under his persona Hyoudou Issei— no, no, that persona was what _started _this mess in the first place.

"I made a mistake," he began, looking Akeno squarely in the eye. "The other day when you were with Rias talking about her engagement plans with Raizer, I was alone with Asia. Kiba was away trying to chase after the Excalibur wielders. And Koneko was with her classmates."

It didn't take a second for Akeno's eyes to widen. She understood where this was going.

"It's my fault!" Asia blurted out. "Ise-kun had nothing to do with it! I was the one who kissed him! Please don't be mad at him! I know he's your boyfriend! But… B-But… I love him so much. I'm sorry, Himejima-sempai. I'm so ashamed of myself. I couldn't help myself. I'm so sorry!"

She was sobbing and repeating herself, telling them over and over how sorry she was to have done it and how betrayed she felt for doing it.

"I kissed her back," Kylar said in a calm voice. A heavy voice, but calm compared to Asia's sobbing. "I was avoiding you because I wasn't sure what I was supposed to tell you. But that's what happened. We kissed. I shouldn't have done it but I did. I love you enough Akeno to tell you what happened. You deserve better respect."

Akeno slid her arms under her chest. Her hands gripped onto her elbows as she looked away from the two. She said nothing while Asia cried out apologies and Kylar stood there like a dumbass. He had no idea what else he could tell her. All he could do was await her judgment.

"…Okay," she said in a low voice.

Kylar stared at her for a moment.

"Okay… what?" he pressed from her.

"I already knew, Kylar," she said with a voice of irritation. "Rias told me everything. But I wanted to hear it from you. Even if she didn't tell me I could have figured it out on my own. Being in the same room as you two like this right now tells me the entire story."

…He tried to ignore the sound of the Ka'Kari laughing at his misery.

"I knew as soon as you told me Asia was the cost of your immortality," Akeno continued. "The Black Ka'Kari feeds off of love. You tried desperately to push me away because you were worried I would be sacrificed. When you died because of that Exorcist, it was Asia who was taken. Not me. Asia meant more to you than I do. I've always known and I've always accepted that."

He stared at her some more. Now it was his turn to be disbelieving.

"Do you hear yourself?" he asked. "Akeno, seriously, do you hear yourself? It sounds like you would have been _glad _if you were the one to have died. Asia is here because of the Evil Pieces. You've already been made into a Devil. Do you understand you _can't _come back if you were to die?!"

She looked straight at him, "I understand. But knowing I would have died because you loved me the most would have made me happy beyond measure. I would have gladly died for you."

_~You gotta admit,~_ his Ka'Kari shrugged inside his head, _~it sounds kinda romantic. In a twisted sort of way.~_

"Kylar…" Akeno said softly. "Do you love Asia? Do you really love her?"

Asia had stopped sobbing. She peered up at Kylar through the rim of her fingers.

He frowned and didn't say anything for a while. It was his turn to cross his arms.

"You already know I do," he admitted. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at Asia. It wasn't fair to talk like this to Akeno and not to her. "Asia, I shouldn't. I am in a relationship with Akeno. She's mine as much as I am hers. I'm sorry, but I can't shouldn't return these feelings to you. I don't even think we should be friends. I care about you too much and that's not fair to Akeno. It's better if we never talk again."

Asia looked absolutely heartbroken. But she bowed her head and nodded. She sniffed as more tears started to begin.

"Now… hold on…" Akeno said. It sounded like she struggled to say that. "I don't think that's fair either, Kylar."

They both looked at her. Kylar with confusion and Asia with hope.

Akeno frowned. She looked unhappy when her eyes met Asia's. "Argento-san, I don't like you. I don't think I ever will. I've been jealous of you since we first met. You got to live with Kylar before I could. You were going to leave with him while he abandoned me. And you were the price for his immortality. He picked you over me in every way. It really hurts, you know, when I'm supposed to be his girlfriend. I really should let you drown with this rejection.

"But… I can't help but feel for you. I can't imagine what it would be like without Kylar. You really do love him. And he loves you. I can't live without him and I can't imagine what you must be going through."

His mind came to a screeching halt. The metaphorical train tried to pull on the brakes. But the emergency brakes weren't working. The station was approaching! Oh shit. There was a massive collision that killed a dozen abstract concepts of thought who were carrying out their daily routine.

"I have conditions," Akeno said sternly. She pointed a finger per each condition as she faced Asia. "Number one, I am the alpha. Number two, I get five out of the seven days of the week. I'll allow you to pick two. Number three, no matter what I get to sleep with him first. Number four, I'm the only one who gets to snuggle up in his bed, period. Number five—"

"No," he snapped as his mind finished rebooting. "Absolutely not. Akeno, what the hell are you saying?"

Both girls looked at him as Akeno answered, "Is this not what you wanted, Kiri-kun? I was sure you wouldn't mind sharing two gorgeous maidens all to yourself."

"I'm not a Devil," he argued. "I'm human. I made a commitment to _you. _I'm not going to dishonor it by bedding multiple women."

There was a loud knock on the door. Followed by Azrael's voice, "The harem route!"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Kylar shouted after the man kept walking through the hallway.

"Bedding?" Akeno pouted. "Kiri-kun, you and I haven't done the deed yet. You have no right to say that until you've popped my cherry. We could even do it here and now. We could make Asia watch until I climax. And then, as I recover, you can give her a turn."

Asia was shaking with a face as red as a tomato.

"Does that ring not mean anything to you?" Kylar argued. He pointed to the brand of mistarille attached to her ear. "That's a ring for marriage. That's _my _ring. It's linked to the other set I always keep on hand."

To prove it, he pulled out the matching ring out of his pocket. It was nigh indestructible anyhow. The magic had survived despite the eons and could take a few beatings whenever he was the Night Angel— though he always tucked it away in a compartment when he was out patrolling.

Yet, the ring was broken. It had been snapped in two. It had been broken for millennia because of the breaking of the compulsion.

He kept it because it had belonged to Elene, whom Vi had stolen and ring-raped him into a marriage contract. Elene, his Doll Girl, was someone he loved lethally.

"It means everything to me," Akeno countered. She frowned deeply at him this time. "Kylar, I love you more than life itself. I would happily die for you. I would do anything for you. Even if it means I have to share that love with someone else. I took this ring knowing you already loved Asia. You mean the world to me."

She stepped forward and took his hands. He didn't meet her eyes.

She didn't need him to. She pressed herself against him and kissed his lips. He didn't kiss back at first, too ashamed of himself. But, as she pushed harder, the sensation of her touch lulled him to return the favor. He kissed her back, still ashamed of himself but full of want and love for her. She never forgave him because she had already done so long ago.

She loved him. She knew everything about him when he had spent months trying to hide these feelings from her. And she fully accepted him for who and what he was.

"This still isn't right," he said to her when they broke apart.

"Don't think I'm just as happy about it," she said to him with a voice of disdain. "But whatever makes you happy. Argento-san, come here. Why don't you give your new boyfriend a smooch?"

Asia jumped where she stood. "C-Can I really? Himejima-sempai? I… I would like that very much."

"I have no say in this?" he growled.

Asia looked at him with eyes full of hurt. "Oh. Ise— Kylar… Do you not like me? I thought that… I-If you don't want to… You are Himejima-sempai's boyfriend after all… It would be shameless to have another lover. I understand…"

"Don't be like that," Akeno slapped his shoulder. "I'm doing a lot by allowing this, you know. Just think about it. I'm allowing you to have an affair with another woman. While I watch you swap spit with a woman you love that's not me. While you look into each other's eyes with passion and hold each other. While you both moan with pleasure while I watch… Oh just hurry up and kiss her already."

"…There is something seriously wrong with you," he held nothing back.

"I love you too," she said with a smile and stepped back. She gestured for Asia to step forward.

When Asia did, she peered up at Kylar with hope-filled eyes.

_~Isn't it every man's dream to have a harem? Both girls seem okay with it. There was also that one time when you had—~_

"We will not talk about this," he said out loud. Both to his Ka'Kari and to the girls.

"A secret affair?!" Akeno gasped. "Even better! I'll pretend to never know about it! But make sure no one else finds out either before I'm supposed to!"

There was something _seriously _wrong with Akeno. He was also pretty sure everyone else knew about it. There was _no way _he could keep something like this a secret.

"Kylar…" Asia said softly as she kept staring. "I… I meant what I said the other day. I do love you. I felt horrible about doing that when you were with Himejima-sempai. But… if she says it's okay… I won't hold back. I love you, Kylar. I love you so much it hurts. I want to be with you always. Will you let me stay by your side?"

When he first met Asia, he couldn't help but compare her to Elene. It wasn't fair to her. She looked so much like Doll Girl even when they were two completely different people. He had to make a literal list dividing the differences between them.

He couldn't see that any longer. Asia was Asia and Elene was Elene.

Asia was too much of a sweetheart. She cared too much about his morality. She cared too much about his health, about his mentality, about _him. _She put him over herself. She openly prayed for him even when it would cause her harm as a Devil. She would fret over him even on the smallest of matters. She would ask about him. And she would go out of her way to make herself helpful to him.

He had watched that crush become genuine love. She wanted to know him, to be with him, to accept him.

He could only sigh in resignation.

He grabbed her arms and pulled her closer to him. Her face flushed slightly, and then they deepened in color when he moved his hands around her back and pulled her tighter to him. She didn't shirk away. If anything, she fully accepted and embraced him. Her eyes lit up despite her innocent demeanor.

"I think this is a huge mistake," he sighed one last time.

"…I love you, Kylar," she said quietly. Her blush intensified. "Will you not have me too?"

It was physically impossible to deny the look in her eyes.

He pulled her up to him and kissed her. Her body shuddered by his touch as she kissed him back. He could feel the tension in her body relax as though she had been stressed about this all her life. She had been holding a great weight all to herself. Hell, she had jumped in front of the gun and screamed she was the one who started this whole mess. She was willing to face the wrath of Akeno for his sake.

She was crying as he kissed her. They were tears of joy and relief. She was in absolute bliss over this.


End file.
